


Tale of a Rose

by TheBigLoserQueen



Series: God AU [40]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Background Slash, Blood, Blood and Gore, Death, Execution, F/M, Fear, Fights, Genderbending, Gods, Heavy Angst, Het, Human, Kidnapping, Magic, Mental Instability, Mild Gore, Nudity, Psychological Trauma, Serious, Shapeshifting, Spirits, Theft, Trauma, Violence, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:30:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 49,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBigLoserQueen/pseuds/TheBigLoserQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The God of Flora is insane and Thornstriker finds herself the target of his obsession.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was something strange going on; Thornstriker was sure of it. Just recently, she started to notice that some of her things were missing.An earring. A towel. A shoe. Also just one thing every once in a while and she could never find it. It bothered her greatly, but Airstream kept saying that she probably put it somewhere and forgot about it, just like when she was a kid.   
  
But it wasn’t the same thing like when she was younger and she would somehow lose things. Now they were just randomly disappearing! It was so weird too.  
  
“Maybe some spirits are stealing them.”  
  
Thornstriker frowned, looking at the jaguar that was resting at her bedside. “Very funny, Bloodshed. And I’m  _serious_! Someone is stealing my things!”  
  
“Or you’re losing them-OW!” He jerked his head to see that she had, purposefully, stepped on his tale as she got up from the bed to walk about to her jewelry box. “A little much, don’t you think?”  
  
She answered with a sharp “Hmph!” and looked through the box, hoping to find some of her missing accessories.   
  
For the past three days now, Bloodshed had been staying with her in her hut. She wasn’t sure why he would want to stay with her, considering he was the one who had the big house and everything. Maybe his roommates, Novabomb and Nebula, had done something to annoy him. Again. But she didn’t complain, considering she enjoyed spending time with him, even though he  _was_ making fun of her.   
  
Well, there was one thing she could complain about, but didn’t. Airstream made it quite clear from the beginning that he did not like Bloodshed, let alone liking him in their house. The two would argue and have glaring contests with other before either Wheeljack or Thornstriker (or sometimes both of them) would break it up. That was the only thing unpleasant about the whole ordeal.   
  
Thornstriker gave a soft groan. Nope, she still couldn’t find the other earring. Damn it, she liked that pair! Why did one of those earrings have to go missing?!    
  
Bloodshed perked up at the sound of her groan. “What? Still can’t find it?”  
  
“No…” she grumbled, walking back over to him and sitting down beside him, pulling her legs to her chest and looking down at her knees. “I don’t get it… My jewelry, my utensils, my hairbrush… It all just goes missing.”  
  
Bloodshed frowned. Well, that did sound strange. Jewelry he could understand, but clothes? How does someone lose that? Was she simply just forgetting where she put them? No, her memory wasn’t bad. Maybe there was a thief in her village. Wouldn’t surprise him, considering how disgusting and selfish mortals could be.   
  
“I can help you look for it tomorrow, if you’d like.”  
  
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Really?” she said, smiling brightly.  

When he nodded, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his fur, rubbing her face against it.

“Thank you.”  
  
He just looked at the girl for a few moments, blushing a bit. Damn, why was she so adorable? He purred as she ran her hands through his first, scratching the back of his ears. Then, just as she took her hands away, he sprung up and jumped her, knocking the girl down. She shrieked before she started laughing as he rubbed his head against her, tickling her.  
  
“St-Stop!” she giggled out, trying to fight him off. “C-Cut it out!”  
  
He laughed once, pulling back from her. But just as he did, the curtain from her room was pulled back. They both looked up, Airstream standing in the doorway with a hard look on his face with Wheeljack standing behind him, giving the two an apologetic expression.   
  
“What’s going on in here?” he demanded, his eyes locked on Bloodshed.   
  
Bloodshed growled at the man, slowly sitting upright and away from his sister. Thornstriker cleared her throat and sat up on her knees. “It’s all right, Airstream. He was just teasing me.”  
  
Airstream looked at the woman on the floor, his expression softening significantly. “Thornstriker, if he’s intruding on your personal space, then–”  
  
“Oh, Airstream, just leave them alone,” Wheeljack said, wrapping her arms around his arm. “They were simply enjoying their time together. They don’t need us intruding on it.”  
  
Airstream said nothing. Damn it, if Bloodshed weren’t a god, he would kill the bastard! He hated how he had chosen his sister to love out of all the women out there. He was dangerous! Did she not know the stories and legends surrounding him?! He wasn’t the God of Wrath for no reason!  
  
He huffed, shaking his head. He didn’t have time for this bullshit. The mortal looked at the jaguar on the floor and growled, “Don’t you dare do anything to her.”  
  
Bloodshed rolled his eyes. Then, just to piss the other off, he turned to Thornstriker and said, “Looks like I can’t fuck the daylights out of you like I originally planned.”   
  
Thornstriker’s face lit up bright red while Airstream’s eyes widened in absolute rage. How dare he say that to his sister?! And in his own house?! This fucking god…! He would kill him!  
  
Wheeljack pulled the rigid man away from them and out of the room, trying to calm him down. “Airstream, remember, he’s a god and–”  
  
“I don’t care if he is a god!” he shouted. “He’s not worthy of her! He isn’t–”  
  
She pressed a finger to his lips. “But he’s good to her. He loves her and he would do anything to protect her. Even if he isn’t your ideal pick for her… You can’t say he doesn’t take good care of her.”   
  
Airstream said nothing. No, he couldn’t deny it. Bloodshed had always protected her, though he would always blame him for not doing something about those cult members sooner. But Bloodshed did protect her and took care of her, treating her right. It didn’t mean he liked him and he never would.   
  
“I’m going to bed,” he grumbled as he retreated to his room, Wheeljack sighing and following.   
  
As those two retreated to the bedroom, Thornstriker was furiously beating Bloodshed over the head with a pillow, face still red and obviously embarrassed. He allowed it, barely trying to dodge the hits. Considering she was so weak, they barely hurt him. Not to mention it was kind of cute watching her in this short of temper.   
  
“Don’t  _do_  that!” she hissed, still smacking him with the pillow. “You  _know_  how he gets!”  
  
“It’s why I said it in the first–”  
  
She shoved the pillow in his face. “Well, next time,  _don’t!_ ” Then she turned away from him, giving a small “Hmph!” as she had her back face him.   
  
He huffed. Figures she would act like this to his joke. Well, nothing much he could really do about it. He slowly moved his spot, nuzzling his head against her back. “I’m sorry. You know I don’t like him as much as he doesn’t like me.”  
  
“You don’t have to provoke him, you know.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, honestly.  He didn't actually mean for her to get mad at him. He just didn't want to put up with Airstream's relentless bullshit towards him. But it  _was_  her brother, who practically raised her after their parents died. He was precious to her, just as Bloodshed was to her. She didn't want them to fight. They couldn't help it though, since they couldn't stand each other.  
  
She sighed, her body relaxing a bit as she turned to face him. She gently seized his face and kissed his nose. “I know… Just… keep those kinds of comments to yourself. I don’t need my brother having a heart attack over something like that.”   
  
Bloodshed kept himself from saying that he wouldn’t have minded if he had and only gave her a nod. She smiled at that, getting up onto the bed. She stroked over his head, rubbing her fingers behind his ears. He purred at that, settling down at her bed side as she continued to run her fingers through his fur.   
  
“Good night, Bloodshed,” she said softly as she blew out the candle in her room.   
  
He gave a soft hum, closing his eyes and still feeling her hand in his fur. She had such delicate and gentle hands… And they felt so amazing against him, so soothing.  
  
Before he knew it, he was dead asleep. 

* * *

Thornstriker’s eyes popped open, sitting up straight in her bed. It was in the middle of the night, everything completely dark. Her only source of light was the moon that shone in through the windows and cracks in the house.   
  
She had heard something. She  _knew_  that she heard something! She bit her bottom lip as she looked over at the curtain. Whatever she had heard, it was in the main room. Carefully, she got off the bed, making sure to step around Bloodshed. If she woke him up, then, if someone was actually in the house, would know and escape. This had to be the one who was stealing her things. It had to be!  
  
Carefully, she moved to the curtain, peeking out in the main room. She saw nothing. Quietly, she moved out into the wall, though keeping to the shadows of the wall. There was someone else there. She swallowed, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Should she have tried to wake Bloodshed up? Or maybe Airstream or Wheeljack?   
  
Slowly, she walked toward the darker half of the main room, toward the kitchen. Just as she stepped closer into the kitchen, her side bumped against a chair. She stiffened and froze, the entire room going dead silent. Except for when she heard something hit the floor a little bit away from her. Swallowing, she moved over to what had been dropped, crouching down to see what it was.  
  
Her eyes widened. One of her mother's tribal bracelets. She had left both of them on the table when she got home because she didn't want to them to get dirty while preparing food. But if this one was here, where was the other one?   
  
With a soft breath, she slowly looked up. Then her eyes widened in horror when she saw the large figure crouched under the table, big bright orange eyes locked on her. He was too large to be a normal man and his eyes gave away that he wasn't a mortal. From what she could make out, he was a plain looking man, flat face with very broad shoulders and a small frame. And in his right hand, he held the other tribal bracelet.  
  
This was the thief? This... god?  
  
She opened her mouth to scream, but the god quickly jumped out from the table and over her, clamping one of his large hands down over her mouth. Thornstriker panicked and immediately started struggling against him, slamming her fists on his chest and kicking up at him as hard as she could. He just stared down at her, unsure of what to do.   
  
He had been caught. After two years of doing this, he had actually been caught... And it was by the one person who he had been stealing from. The mortal he had grown so attractive to, so fond of... What should he do? What was he supposed to do? If he let her go, she would tell everyone. He would never be able to see her again! He couldn't have that! No!  
  
Quickly, he yanked her off of her feet, his hand still clamped over her mouth as he kept her back to his chest, his other arm wrapped firmly around it. Though, it was hard to keep her up right because she was struggling so much.  
  
Thornstriker screamed into the hand as he dragged her toward the door. No! No, this wasn't happening! This couldn't be happening again! She bit down hard on the other's hand, who jerked his hand away for a moment in pain. It gave her time to let out a scream, though it was cut off when he suddenly clamped his hand over her mouth again, dragging her out of the hut.  
  
But the scream did not fall upon deaf ears. Bloodshed's eyes opened wide at the sound, jerking his head to see if he had just imagined it. But Thornstriker was not in her bed and the front door suddenly slammed shut. That could only mean the scream was real.   
  
Thornstriker was in danger.  
  
Bloodshed jumped up from his spot with a roar, probably waking up the entire village but not really caring. He dashed out of the room, seeing Airstream and Wheeljack come out as well. Before Airstream could say anything, Bloodshed growled, "It's got your sister!"  
  
Airstream froze. Thornstriker? What got her? What was he talking about?! But he couldn't ask any questions with Bloodshed running out into the jungle. He sniffed the air, catching her scent... And another man's. He snarled, sprinting toward the scent. But whoever he was chasing seemed to know that he was being followed, running in circles or going through tight paths that Bloodshed couldn't get through.  
  
And the scent of flowers. They were so powerful in this area. Much to his horror, he started losing the scent. No... No...! No! No, he couldn't lose that scent!  
  
"Thornstriker?!" he shouted out, hoping that maybe she would answer him with a scream or just  _something_. But when he was greeted with silence, he ran toward the cliff areas, hoping to catch the scent again.   
  
"Thornstriker?!" he shouted again, coming up near the top of a waterfall. But once again, there was no answer and he couldn't pick up a scent. No... No, this couldn't be happening. It had been one thing with the cult, but this... He didn't know where she was. He didn't know if she was all right. He didn't know who had taken her.   
  
He didn't know  _anything_.  
  
No. That wasn't true. He did know one thing, if anything about this fucking dead kidnapper.   
  
He wasn't human. There was no way that a mortal could outrun him while carrying a woman hostage, even if it was someone as petite as Thornstriker. Whoever took her was from his world.  
  
And whoever took her was fucking dead.   
  
Bloodshed didn't even notice that the trees and rocks around him were cracking from the pressure his powers were putting on them. He was only half-aware that some of the branches were snapping off, some of the rocks exploding into pieces. He could only dig his claws into the crowd and roar up in absolute rage to the heavens, no animal, mortal, or god able to ignore it or dismiss it as nothing.  
  
Bloodshed had been angered.  
  
The God of Wrath had awakened.   
  


* * *

Bloodshed returned to the village, glancing around to see that others were still searching for her. On his way back, he had spotted a few men looking around as well.   
  
Outside the hut, Airstream was sitting on a log, his face buried in his hands as Wheeljack stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders in hopes to comfort him. When she saw Bloodshed slowly approach them, his face hard and bitter, she knew.  
  
“What happened?” she asked softly.  
  
“Whatever took her wasn’t human,” Bloodshed said gruffly. “They… They came from my world. They…” But he couldn’t finish his sentence, his nails clawing into the earth. He couldn’t think or speak clearly. He was too preoccupied with controlling himself.   
  
“You were supposed to protect her.”   
  
Both Bloodshed and Wheeljack looked at Airstream, though his face was still buried in his hands. “You were supposed to keep her safe…” he whispered out dryly. “You said you would protect her…”  
  
Wheeljack ran her fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down. “Airstream–”  
  
“You said you would watch over her… And she got kidnapped because of your fucking negligence!”   
  
Airstream suddenly jumped to his feet, grabbing the hunting knife he had next to him. Bloodshed perked up at the sight and snarled, crouching down in a defensive position. Wheeljack’s eyes widened and she immediately jumped in front of her husband, holding out her arms to act as a buffer between the two men.  
  
“Stop it!” Wheeljack shouted, glaring at them. “Both of you are acting like children!”  
  
“He let her get taken away! He allowed her to be in danger!”  
  
“I never allowed it!” Bloodshed growled. “This…! It just happened!”  
  
“And you could have stopped it!” Airstream hollered, pointing the knife at him. He would skin this bastard alive! He allowed him to court his sister because, yes, he could protect her! But he had failed at the one thing Airstream had entrusted him with! Keeping her out of harm’s way!  
  
It was just like the last time. When that cult kidnapped her to sacrifice her. But this time, no one knew who had taken her or where they had taken her. She could be dead for all they knew and they were just standing here because Bloodshed let them take her away!  
  
“I should have turned you away!” Airstream shouted. “I should have thrown you out! God or no god, you were never worthy of my sister! You–”  
  
“Airstream, that is enough!” Wheeljack snapped. She smacked the knife out of his hand, surprising her husband. “You leave Bloodshed alone! This isn’t anyone’s fault! This isn’t what Thornstriker would want from you two!”  
  
“But he–”  
  
“Stop it.” Then Wheeljack turned to the other, her expression still hard. “I don’t blame you. I would never blame you. But… But you better find her. If you don’t find her…” She couldn’t finish her threat. She knew it wasn’t Bloodshed’s fault, but Thornstriker was like her sister. She loved her, cared for her. She didn’t want anything to happen to her!   
  
Bloodshed said nothing, looking down at the ground. This never should have happened. He was supposed to protect her, watch over her. While she was in his care, nothing was supposed to happen to her…  
  
“Hey, quit moping.”  
  
The three of them froze, jerking their heads from the direction the voice came from. Airstream and Wheeljack just stared at the goddess with wide eyes. Bloodshed just looked over with her bitter apathy as she approached him, resting her hands on her hips.   
  
“You,” she said, pointing at the jaguar. “Come on – everybody wants to know what the hell caused you to roar like that. Including the Council.”   
  
Shit. The Council. Of course they would want to know. It was them all those years ago that told Bombrush that he had to get him to understand that not all mortals were bad as he was killing mortals if they ever came in his bath and was planning to make mortals extinct. Or else, somehow and some way, they would put him to death.  Though that had past and he was no longer ready to kill humanity, they still kept an eye on him.   
  
“And if I say fuck off?”  
  
“Then I have to drag you there.”  
  
Bloodshed gave a harsh, humorless laugh. “As if you could, Nebula. You’re strong, but I’m much stronger.” But he looked at the two mortals, giving them a nod. “I’ll find her. I promise.”   
  
Nebula just stood there as he said goodbye to the two mortals. She thought it was strange that Thornstriker wasn’t there with him. Whenever he came to this village, he stuck to her like glue. So why wasn’t she there now?  
  
As they turned away, she glanced around. There were groups of men out in the jungle with torches. The women were whispering quietly amongst themselves and the two mortals Bloodshed had just been talking to looked like they had just finished burying someone. And Thornstriker wasn’t there.  
  
Her eyes widened as she suddenly looked at Bloodshed, who noticed her gaze and looked back up at her. He didn’t ask her what was wrong. It was almost as if he knew exactly what she was thinking and his silence was only confirming it.   
  
“How did she–”   
  
“Someone kidnapped her,” he muttered, turning away from her and morphing into his normal god form. “He wasn’t a mortal either… No mortal can outrun a god. Especially not while carrying someone.”  
  
But he didn’t say anything more, leaving Nebula to inwardly panic. Thornstriker was gone? The same woman that she and all the other gods depended on to keep this guy from killing everyone? No, no that couldn’t be true. The Council had instructed that no harm should come to her! That girl was basically a fucking savior!  
  
Then she shook her head. The Council, along with everyone else, would  _not_  be happy to know that this is what caused him to roar like that.


	2. Chapter 2

The entire room was filled with nothing but worried murmurs and soft chatter. Every god and goddess had heard Bloodshed’s roar and every single one of them feared what had caused such a thing. The last time they had heard him scream like that, his mother had been killed and those hunters had been brutally killed.   
  
It was the main hall within the underworld, the God of Death’s domain. It was a large circular room, allowing everyone a place to stand or sit, if they were up against the walls and such, and leaving the center of the room completely empty.  
  
Above everyone were six small balconies, each housing a seat for the six Council members to sit in. They were the ones mainly in charge of everyone, though they mainly regulated the other gods’ actions rather than controlled them. If someone stepped out of line, then the Council would deal with them.   
  
On the Council was Megatron, the God of Death; Red Alert, the Goddess of Life; Optimus, the God of Peace; Eclipse, the Goddess of Day; Cyclonus, the God of Night; and Alpha Trion, the God of Fate and Time. The six of them made up the Council and when something was wrong, they gathered everyone and commence and controlled a meeting.   
  
No one needed to announce why they had called for a meeting. Everyone knew why. Now all they had to do was wait for Nebula to bring Bloodshed here so he could tell what the hell had happened.   
  
Megatron glanced down at Novabomb and Mirage, friends of Bloodshed, huddled up in the corner. Perhaps they knew what was wrong? Well, at least Novabomb would. He and Nebula were the god's only two friends. Then he looked at Bombrush, his friend and the younger man's father. He looked absolutely worried sick. Megatron supposed that it was only natural. The last time this happened, his wife had been murdered. Despite the fact that he had gotten himself a lover, Megatron doubted the other forgot the pain of losing Pixela.   
  
Suddenly, the doors to the room burst open. Everyone looked up and stiffened, turning to look who had entered. Only Nebula entered the room, her face tight with pain and her expression hard.  
  
"Nebula?" Red Alert said, looking over her. "Where's Bloodshed? Did you find him? Is he coming?"  
  
"He's a bit behind me."  
  
"What happened? Did he tell you anything?"  
  
Nebula said nothing for a moment, glancing around the room. It wasn't her news to share, so she wouldn't right out say it. But she couldn't not give a warning, looking up at the Council with a defeated expression, throwing her arms up. "We... are  _so_  fucked."   
  
Then the doors opened again, Bloodshed coming into the room. Nebula moved herself off to the side and over by Novabomb and Mirage. When the doors closed behind him, people pressed up against the wall, fearing that his obvious rage would focus on them. They had all seen his murderous power before. Not to mention they knew he didn't have much control over it when angry.   
  
When he finally stepped in the middle of the room, everyone went deadly quiet and pressed back into the walls as the Council straightened up in their seats, looking down at the god.  
  
"You do understand why we called this meeting," Red Alert said, though the man didn't turn to look at her.  
  
"Because you think I'll try to kill all the mortals again. Is this your way of taking precautions? Dragging me down here and keeping me trapped like some wild animal because a bunch of mindless mortals pissed me off?"  
  
Novabomb, who was still pressed up against the wall, leaned down to whisper to Nebula, "Holy shit, he's really pissed off, huh?"  
  
Nebula just nodded, never taking her eyes off of her friend.  
  
Optimus held up a hand. "We aren't certain what caused you to roar like that. The last time you did, your mother-"  
  
"Well, you all can relax. My target isn't a worthless mortal." The door handle suddenly caved in on itself, the loud cracking noise breaking the silence of the room. "It's a god this time. And if I have to kill every single one of you, I will."   
  
Chaos erupted in the room. The gods who were not warriors or fighters drew further back or put their bodies between their loved ones and the God of Wrath. Those who could fight stood up and took stances, including Megatron and Cyclonus of the Council.  
  
In a few seconds, the walls were packed with gods as a few brave souls stood at the edge of the circle Bloodshed was standing in. Megatron had his twin swords draw and ready to pounce. Cyclonus had drawn out his crossbow and a hunting knife and stood ready to fire as well.  
  
But before anyone could move, a blinding bright light flashed inside the room. Everyone had to cover their eyes, some people shouting and hissing at the brightness of it. Eventually though, the light faded back into Eclipse's hand, who was now standing up from her seat. The room grew quiet again as they all looked at her, stunned that she had reacted the way she just had.  
  
She glared at the gods and goddesses on the ground. "All of you. Weapons down now." Then she looked over at the other two Council members, gesturing for them to sit down. They reluctantly did so, though not without a last glare at Bloodshed, who just glowered back.  
  
Finally, the goddess collected herself, wearing a more composed face as she turned to look at Bloodshed. "Now... Back to what you just said," she said, sitting back down as she folded her hands across her lap. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Bloodshed. Why would you suddenly direct your anger at us? What happened?"  
  
"One of you took her from me!" he snarled, throwing his hands up in the air. "You took her from me! No mortal can outrun a god, especially not while carrying someone! A god kidnapped Thornstriker and if something happens to her,  _I will fucking kill you all!_ "  
  
The room shook for a moment, part of the ceiling cracking a bit. A collective, frightened murmured carried throughout the room, people pressing into each other as if for protection. Novabomb and Mirage looked down at Nebula, almost asking for her to confirm it. But she just looked back at them, giving a single nod. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Bombrush stare at his son in horror. The Council members just glanced at each other, their eyes wide in disbelief.   
  
Thornstriker? His mortal lover? The one who had basically saved her kind after passing Bloodshed's test? It was because of her that he had calmed down and was no longer the threatening menace they had believed him to be. But a god kidnapping her? Impossible! It had been made (without Bloodshed's knowledge), that no god could interfere with the relationship between Bloodshed and Thornstriker. There was no way a god could have done this! It was impossible!  
  
"Bloodshed, does that really validate your claim?" Optimus said carefully. "That because they outran you, they are a god?"  
  
"Has a mortal ever outrun one of us? If so, I would love to have a chat with him then. Maybe  _he_  could tell me where she is?!"  
  
People exchanged glances with each other. No, no mortal had ever outrun one of them. It just wasn't possible, especially when they were in their animal forms. But there was no proof behind his claim. They only knew that she had been taken away, which was bad enough. Now he was accusing his own kind of being responsible for the kidnapping! None of them would ever do something so foolish!  
  
"She was taken when it was still dark," Cyclonus said darkly. "It may have just been an error of judgment on your part."   
  
Bloodshed said nothing, only glaring at the other. Of course, the cracking of the walls gave away just how much that statement pissed him off.   
  
"We need more proof than your word that this other god outran you," he continued. "Surely, if you did not make any error and it was a god, you would have discovered something else that told you what it was that took her."  
  
"Cyclonus is right," Alpha Trion added. "While we have every reason to believe that you wouldn't lie to us about this, there is not much to go on other than that this other god outran you.  We cannot narrow down the possible suspects among the gods, if it was one of us, on just that one fact."  
  
He motioned to the hall of gods and goddesses. "Could anyone here say that they could not outrun you while you were at your most raging and wrathful state of mind with a hostage on their back? Fear and the desire to live have allowed great acts to become of both human and gods alike."  
  
The older god stood, staring down the wrathful god in the middle of the room. "If there is any hope of finding her quickly, there has to be something else. A clue or something unusual that could help point us in the right direction. I think you would find that course of action better than just slaughtering us all and hoping to figure it out from there."  
  
Bloodshed gritted his teeth together, his hands balling up into fists as the God of Fate and Time sat down. While he wanted to just crush the god's skull, he kept himself in check as he tried to remember the chase. He had run after her through the jungle, following her scent. The bastard had carried a scent too and he seemed to know he was being followed, running around in circles and going through paths he couldn't get through. Then he lost it because of the smell of those damn roses and-  
  
He paused. Roses? That was right... There was suddenly this powerful aroma of roses, though they didn't grow around that area. He would know - he had walked through it a hundred times with Thornstriker. Roses didn't grow around that area. So why had there been that scent? He knew it was to throw him off too, because it worked.   
  
No human could suddenly make a scent that powerful or sweet out of thin air. That was the workings of a god. Unless Alpha Trion had something else to say about that. What other magic tricks could a mortal do?  
  
"When I was chasing after them, I lost their scent because there was this sudden aroma of roses... And roses don't grow in that part of the jungle. I've been through that area plenty of times to know something like that."   
  
"Are you certain of that?" Red Alert calmly asked.  
  
"Yes. If you don't believe me, ask Novabomb and Nebula. They've have been in those parts several times before."  
  
The Council suddenly looked at Nebula and Novabomb. They both paused for a moment, trying to remember if there were any roses or not in the area. Novabomb certainly couldn't recall any and he shook his head. Nebula thought about it a bit more. No, there weren't any roses over there. Hell, they barely had  _flowers_  over there, let alone roses.  
  
"Well, I've never seen one," she said. "The only things over in that area are vines, trees, dead trees, dead vines, and sticks. I think maybe I've seen one or two flowers, but they sure as hell weren't roses. Or do you need more proof than that, since you seem to think he's making this shit up."  
  
Megatron glared at the goddess. "It's called taking precautions. Perhaps you should learn to take them as well, especially before you open your mouth."  
  
Nebula just rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.   
  
The Council members looked over at each other. The scent of roses? What did that tell them? Yes, it seemed that it was indeed a god that kidnapped her, but what did that say? Was it a clue or just something to throw them off more?   
  
Then Eclipse paused. Flowers. Plants. Plant Life. Flora... No. No, it couldn't be. That god was harmless. He kept to himself. He never bothered anyone. She didn't even know his name that he was so quiet and standoffish. But she had to ask.   
  
"Where is the God of Flora?"   
  
Everyone looked around the room, waiting for the god to step out. No one was sure who they were looking for, some of them not even knowing such a god even existed. Some knew of him, but they thought he was weird or creepy, not wanting to really associate with him. He was always muttering to himself and never looked anyone in the house. He was an odd looking god too, with his flat plain face and wide shoulders and short frame. No one talked to him and no one knew where he was standing in the room.  
  
Though, by the looks of it, he wasn't even in the room to begin with.   
  
Bombrush felt his heart sink. He had prayed for a quick resolution for this mess, but now that seemed impossible. The God of Flora was a very reclusive being. In fact, no one knew where he lived.  
  
As the terrible news came to be, the poor god turned to the image of his son in the middle of the hall. He could only watch in horror as the anger boiling inside his son grew more. If she was not found soon, his son would unleash all of his wrath upon them. And most likely be killed in the process.  
  
The young god was quiet, less animated than usual. But if one were to look closer, they would see his body shaking and quivering like a pot overflowing from the heat. They would see his fists curled so tight that blood was starting to drip over his fingers.  
  
There was only one thought processing in Bloodshed's mind.  
  
The God of Flora had Thornstriker.  
  
The God of Flora had  _taken_  Thornstriker  _from him_.  
  
"Where is the God of Flora?"  
  
His voice, as it repeated the Goddess of Day's question, wasn't angry or loud. It was soft, filled with the emotion that was being held inside him, almost ready to burst.  
  
“If he isn’t here, then where is he?” he said, the ceiling now starting to crack. Everyone gasped and pushed back into the walls. His voice was still soft, still seemingly calm. But the raw and pure rage was detected behind him.   
  
“Before you destroy my home, wait for someone to actually answer you,” Megatron said, glaring at the younger man. But he had a feeling that no one would answer for a number of reasons. But the main one was simple – no one even knew the God of Flora, let alone his current location.  
  
Optimus huffed, standing up. “While we cannot just push the blame onto him, we can name him as the prime suspect. Everyone will help in this search for both him and the mortal. Anyone who has any knowledge regarding the God of Flora will come speak to us immediately.”   
  
Can’t push the blame on him? Of course they could push it on him! That fucker had to be the one who did it! He wasn’t there. He was the god that watched over the plant life. He could outrun him and use that perfume of roses to throw him off! Damn it, he was wasting his time here. He should have been looking for his lover, not wasting with these bastards.   
  
Bloodshed shook his head and turned toward the door. Some gasped and recoiled as he stormed out of the room, slamming the doors behind him. Eclipse and Red Alert only flinched at the slam, glancing at each other.  
  
Optimus let out a heavy breath, sitting down again and rubbing his eyes. “You are all dismissed.”  
  
It took everyone a moment, but eventually, everyone slowly cleared out of the room, whispering and muttering to each other. They glanced back at the Council, who were still sitting in their seats and looking at each other. Megatron’s gaze moved to one of the last people to leave, Bombrush, who just looked back up at him.  
  
They shared a silent conversation, one that told Megatron that this was not something the Council could think lightly of. Not that they would, but Bombrush knew the true power Bloodshed had within him. It was a power that could kill them all if they weren’t careful.   
  
Finally, the entire room cleared out, leaving the six Council members inside. Eclipse let out a heavy sigh and buried her face into her hands, rubbing her eyes. “We have to find that girl.”  
  
“How could this have happened?” Cyclonus demanded. “Every god knows to never even  _think_  of touching that mortal. Not unless they want to get everyone killed.”  
  
“How much do we know about the God of Flora?” Red Alert asked.  
  
“Obviously nothing,” Megatron growled, leaning back in his seat as he folded his arms across his chest. “We don’t even know his name. He never speaks to anyone. He just sits in the corner and never says a word, always looking at his feet. Always seemed like a creepy bastard.”  
  
Optimus turned to him, frowning. “You seem to think he is guilty when we are basing this off pure speculation. While I do believe that he may have been responsible, we can’t just accuse him unjustly.”  
  
The God of Death glared at him. “While you are under the belief that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, let me remind you who just made the accusation. We are dealing with  _the God of Wrath_. Do we not remember what he did when he was just a boy?”  
  
“You sound scared of him,” Cyclonus said flatly.  
  
“It’s more concern that it is fear,” Megatron said, glaring at the God of Night. “While mortal deaths benefit my realm, god deaths only cause chaos if we have no replacements or trainees for them. Do you want the world to fall to hell because we’re all dead?”  
  
Eclipse sighed, turning to the God of Fate and Time. “Alpha Trion… You can see all possible future outcomes that can happen, yes?”  
  
“I can.”   
  
And he did not need to be asked what he needed to see. He simply closed his eyes, allowing his mind to expand into the different outcomes of this event. As it turned out, if they found the girl, Bloodshed’s wrath would disappear as it had when he first met her.   
  
But if they didn’t find her… That future greeted him with nothing but hellfire. Death. Destruction. There was screaming, crying, fire. A blood red jaguar on fire, roaring to the skies in absolute rage… And on the ground was every god or mortal that tried to stand in his way.   
  
“Alpha Trion?”   
  
The concerned voice snapped out of his thoughts, blinking a few times. He looked over at Red Alert, who had called to him in the first place. He took a deep breath and shook his head.  
  
“If we don’t find her, Bloodshed will undoubtedly kill us all… with ease”   
  
The five other gods stared at him. This could not be happening. Not after everything had been settled. Not after he had finally became less of a threat! He had learned to accept the mortals and had learned to control his anger. They knew that his relationship with Thornstriker was what was keeping him grounded and they knew it was something fragile they all had to be careful with. But this... They never expected this.   
  
Cyclonus stood up. "How long do we have until Bloodshed snaps?"  
  
“A week, at best."  
  
Megatron stood up as well. "Then I don't believe we have any time to waste."   
  
The Council members only nodded to each before turning away as well, wanting to do nothing more than find that girl and save not only themselves, but basically, the rest of their world.


	3. Chapter 3

Thornstriker woke up to the sweet scent of lilacs. Her eyes fluttered open as she woke up, giving a soft moan as her vision came back to her. She sat up a bit, rubbing her head as she tried to make sense of things. Why did it smell like lilacs? And was her bed always so soft?   
  
When her vision came back to her, she took in her surrounding, only to freeze at the sight of it. Flowers. Nothing but flowers and vines and bushes and all sorts of plants surrounded her. She glanced down to see that she was laying on a soft, white elevated mattress. She could hear hummingbirds flutter around, a few butterflies and bees coming into view.   
  
She stood up, panicking. Looking a bit more into her surroundings, she could make out that she was in a glass dome of some kind. What was this place? Why was she here?!  
  
She didn't even seem to realize that she was backing away from the bed. But then she bummed into something, causing her to gasp and jump back, whipping around just in time to see the small table fall to the ground. She jerked her head over to see a bowl had shattered upon the impact, seeing what appeared to be jewelry now next to it.   
  
Quickly, she bent down to pick everything up, fearing that her "host" wouldn't like that she had broken their things. But as she kneeled down, she paused. Carefully, she picked up one of the pieces and studied over it.  
  
It was a necklace. A simply, feeble necklace with a small blue rock as its charm. Airstream had given it to her on her seventeenth birthday and a year ago, it had suddenly gone missing. But what was it doing here?   
  
She picked up another piece of jewelry. One of her earrings that had gone missing this past week. Another piece was a bracelet. Then there were two more necklaces that were also hers, but had mysteriously gone missing.  
  
This jewelry... They were all hers that she had believed she had lost. But they weren't lost. She was looking right at them! They couldn't have been lost, if they ended up here. They... They had been stolen. All of it had been stolen.  
  
But by who?  
  
There was rustling in the bushes, which caused Thornstriker to gasp in fright and fall back on her butt. She scrambled away from the noise, her back hitting the mattress. "Wh-Who's there?" she called out, obviously frightened.   
  
There was no answer. Just more rustling in the bushes.   
  
She didn't wait for a response. Scrambling to her feet, she ran around the bed to get as far away from the thing in the bushes. She had to find a way out!  
  
But her path was stopped quickly when she reached the end of the glass dome. There was no door or entrance of any kind that she could see. She felt around in the immediate area, but there were no trap doors, no hidden switches, no magic or anything to indicate a door was here.  
  
Thornstriker stepped back panting. But before she could take another step, she heard branches being swept aside from somewhere behind her. She didn't even look back.  
  
Running around the edge of the dome, she kept stopping once in a while to see if there was any door or something. But to her horror, no matter how many times she checked while she ran, there was no exit in sight.  
  
She didn't know how long she had been running around the edge or if she had circled it, she ran back into the center. Perhaps there was an exit in there!  
  
This proved to be fruitless as well. She continued to find herself getting lost and finding nothing as an escape route, often finding herself at the bed again. Finally, she collapsed to her knees next to the mattress, too exhausted to keep running for the moment.  
  
The rustling came back, stopping again at a large bush close to the edge of the bed opposite where she was.  
  
He could only watch her try to catch her breath. He wanted to say something to her, but he was too afraid to. What if she was really like the others? What if she made fun of him? Called him names? Bullied him? She was kind to everyone else, he knew this, but he didn't want it to actually all be some lie. He didn't think it was, but he was afraid.   
  
But then she started to cry, burying her face into the mattress. No, no, no - he didn't want her to cry! He never wanted her to cry! He wanted to see her laugh, smile - how she normally was. This wasn't what he wanted.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed the bushes out of the way. He was trembling a bit, his heart pounding like mad in his chest, as if it were about to burst. He was so terrified of what she would say or do. He had never talked to a girl before, so that alone was terrifying. Now to someone as wonderful and pretty as he? He thought he would die from anxiety.   
  
"Pl-Please..." he stammered out. “D-D-Don't cry..."  
  
Thornstriker jumped at the voice, jerking her head up to see a rather plain, sexless man looking at her with his orange eyes locked on her. She flinched back, falling back on the bed as her tears stopped at the sight of him. A god... It was a god... The same god who had been in her house... who had taken her away.  
  
What did he want from her? Why did he kidnap her? Why was she there?!  
  
She slowly scooted back from him, terrified of what he wanted.   
  
"W-Wait," the god said as she backed away from him. "Pl-Please, don't r-run... I-I'm not going to hurt you... H-Honest, I'm not..."   
  
Thornstriker just stared at him, holding her hands to her chest. He wasn't going to hurt her? Then why did he kidnap her? Why did he bring her to... wherever she was? And why did he have her things?!  
  
"Who... Who are you?" she demanded. "Wh-Where am I? Wh-Why have you brought me here?!"  
  
"I-I... M-My name is Landmine," he stuttered, flinching back a bit. "W-We're in my home... I... Y-You... st-startled me at y-your home and I j-just..." He bit his bottom lip, not sure how to finish his sentence. He had gotten scared? She had caught him in her house? What was he supposed to say to her that would make sense?!  
  
"Are you... a god?"  
  
He nodded. "I... I'm the G-God of Fl-Flora." He hesitantly held out a closed hand to her, slowly opening it to reveal a growing rose. "S-See?"  
  
Her eyes widened as she took it from him, studying over it. A god? The God of Flora? So she had been right... But he still had yet to tell her why he had brought her here. Or why he had her things. She was so confused and frightened. She wanted to go home!  
  
"Y-You still haven't told me why I'm here. Or why you have my things... Wh-What do you plan to do with me?"  
  
He paused for a moment. Plan to do with her? He didn't even know. He had just... grabbed her because he didn't want her to tell anyone she saw him. Then they would try to keep him from her when he wasn't doing anything wrong!  
  
"I... I, umm... I just..." he mumbled out, not sure what he should say. "I... You're pr-pretty."   
  
Thornstriker flinched slightly at his words.  It wasn't what she was expecting from this giant god, though not as big as Bloodshed. Maybe a little smaller than Novabomb, but she couldn't tell from his hunched appearance.  
  
But his posture reminded her of something from her home village. She remembered a young man from the village who was slow and had trouble helping his family with farm work. Thornstriker thought he was still working with them until she saw him again when she and her brother had gone to a nearby trading area to get supplies for the winter. The disturbed young man was begging in the streets near there, earning money the only way he could for his family.  
  
Thornstriker didn't think this god was as disturbed as that young man from her memory, but his demeanor was like his. Calm and gentle, but he was often seen as being hostile if he was pushed too far. Maybe if she tried to be reason with him gently, she could find out what was going on. Or better yet, find a way out.  
  
"T-Thank you." She slowly moved to get off the bed, trying her best not to startle him. She watched as he backed up slowly. "Your gift... it's wonderful."  
  
He blinked. She liked it? She... She liked the rose? He blushed a bit, rubbing his neck. "I-I'm glad you l-like it," he said, giving her a small and shy smile. He felt like he could fly. She liked the rose!  
  
"Yes… your home… It's all very beautiful." She looked around to finally notice the plants and flowers that seemed to decorate the trees and ground. It  _was_  beautiful. Thornstriker wondered if perhaps he was the one who did this when spring came in the human world.  
  
"R-Really? Y-You really think so?" He could have died with happiness! This mortal - this gorgeous flower had he come across so long ago - had actually thought his home was beautiful! But all the flowers and plants and life could never compare to her. He could only dream something like her would bloom. And here she was. In his home, telling him that it was beautiful.  
  
"Y-Yes, I do." She was a little frightened about his sudden outburst. But he seemed happy... maybe she could ask him now. "Is that... why you brought me here? So I could... see this?"  
  
He bit his bottom lip, looking down at his feet. No, that wasn't the reason, but he didn't want her to call her mean names for his actual reason. She might call him weird or a baby and that was the last thing he wanted. But he didn't want to be called a liar either.   
  
"I... I-It was an ac-accident," he mumbled. "I... Y-You weren't su-supposed to be awake."  
  
"...Why wasn't I supposed to be awake?" She was now confused again. His answers made no sense at all! "W-Why were you in my house in the first place?"  
  
"I... I al-always go to your h-house... I have b-been f-for... t-two years." Boldly, he took a step toward her, not noticing her back away, and stretched up a hand to touch her cheek. "You... I-I couldn't have you... B-But I c-could have th-things that sm-smelled like you... Y-You smell nice."   
  
Thornstriker suddenly felt like she had been dropped into a lake of ice. Him? This being had been inside her house? He was the one taking things. Her things. Some of them were things she kept in her room. He… This god had been in her room while she slept?  
  
"Wh-What do y-you mean... c-couldn't have me?" She had heard that one part of his answer and she feared what he meant by that.  
  
"I-I... I-I've been watching you," he admitted, blushing a bit. "S-Since th-three years ago... And-And I... You we-were so pr-pretty. A-And you were s-so n-nice to ev-everyone... And you sm-smelled good. Like... Like a rose."   
  
He reached out to touch her, but bit his bottom lip and quickly drew back his hand, like he didn't know if she should be touched or not. He  _hated_  how others just easily put a hand on her like she were nothing or something less than pure. She was too good to be touched. Even he, who gave birth to the flowers and the plant life, wasn't worthy enough to touch her. "I-I... I-I wanted to b-be with you. I-I wanted you t-to l-live in my h-home... m-my garden... B-Because y-you're so beautiful... L-Like a flower... Just like a rose..."   
  
Thornstriker started to back away. This... god... Landmine... he...  
  
She couldn't describe what she was feeling. If she could, she would have put it on a level even worse than that of when the cult members kidnapped her. Not because of what was almost done to her, but because of how horrific the whole atmosphere had become.  
  
This god didn't seem... human. Not in the mortal way, but more the emotions. Bloodshed, Novabomb, Nebula and the few other gods she had met seemed very human. They laughed and loved. They respected each other. But not Landmine. It was like he didn’t understand  _anything_  about human emotions. He seemed to think of her as just another flower that he created. He didn't seem to understand or even register her being as another being.  
  
He saw her as an object. A beautiful, fragile piece of decoration to be placed on a table and left there to be admired. Never to move. Not to have a single opinion in anything. It was only there for Landmine to admire and adore for the rest of eternity.  
  
She shook her head, still backing away from him. "N-No..." she whimpered, petrified. "N-No, I-I need to go home... I need to go home...!" Her heart was pounding her chest, her body ice cold with fear.   
  
Landmine gave a broken, confused face. "H-Home?"  
  
"I need to go home!" she cried. "T-Take me home, please! I-I won't tell anyone about this, please!  _I want to go home!_ "  
  
"B-But, you... You are home." He slowly walked toward her.  
  
"No! St-Stay away from me!" He wasn't human! He wasn't human! She tried to run, but before she realized it, her back hit the glass of the dome. She paled as she saw him come closer. She shook her head violently, crouching down as she tried to get herself as far away from him as she could. "NO! PLEASE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
  
"Y-You can't leave me," he murmured softly, kneeling down in front of her. "Y-You... I love you. Y-You can't leave me... I-I need you to st-stay. H-Here. With me... Y-You'll be happier here. With a-all the other fl-flowers. Pl-Please..."  
  
Thornstriker screamed as she tried to jump to her feet and run. She didn't know where she was running, but she could only try and get away from him as far as possible. He wasn't human! He didn't know how to feel love! She was a flower, a rose for his own admiration! She had to get out of here!  
  
But as she tried to run, she noticed that a flower had appeared on her dress. She would have wondered how it had gotten there, but suddenly it started to bloom. And much to her horror, roots came out of the flower's end, spreading over her body and going to her legs to stop her from running. With a shriek, she ripped the flower off and threw it to the floor. But before she could do anything about it, more flowers appeared on her dress and did the same thing.  
  
She screamed wildly as she suddenly fell to the floor, the strong roots gently coiling around her body and keeping her legs and her wrists tied together. She shook her head frantically and she struggled violently in roots, but they soon tightened around her enough that she couldn't even move if she tried.  
  
"I'm sorry," Landmine said softly, almost sincerely as he came over to her, though she could barely hear it as she was still screaming like mad. He carefully lifted her up and carried her back to the mattress, laying her down on the soft surface.  
  
"LET ME GO!" she begged. "PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU CAN'T!"  
  
He tried to hush her in hopes to calm her down. "I-I can't have y-you hurting yourself..." he murmured. “I-I'll just leave y-you like that for a while... U-Until I d-don't think y-you'll hurt yourself. O-Okay?"  
  
But she just screamed, shaking her head violently with tears pouring down her face. He wasn't human. Landmine wasn't human! Not even caring if no one could hear her, she screamed in hopes someone would answer her, in hopes someone would save her from this inhumane creature from hell!  
  
"HELP ME!" she screamed. "Someone,  _please_! HELP ME!"  
  
But Landmine just tried to shush her, telling her that she just needed to calm down. That everything was going to be all right.  
  
Thornstriker screamed to the top of her lungs, tears now following down her face. Even when her voice gave out, she still cried out for help.

* * *

Eight hours. He had been searching for Thornstriker for eight hours and he hadn't gotten even close to finding a single clue as to where the God of Flora may have taken her! Not even the others in his search group had found anything. Not Novabomb, not Mirage, not Nebula, not Bombrush - none of them!  
  
He didn't know what to do. He had promised to protect Thornstriker. He had promised to keep her safe at all cost. And yet, he allowed  _this_  to happen. He allowed her to get kidnapped by a fucking freak loner!  
  
A boulder to his right suddenly cracked in half. Bloodshed just snarled as he raised up his paw and sliced into the tree bark. He swore, when he found the God of Flora, he would make him wish he had never been  _conceived_. And if that god so much as laid a finger on her... He would die on the spot.  
  
"Bloodshed."  
  
The black and red jaguar perked up, looking over his shoulder to see his father in his gray and gold jaguar form approach him. He turned to face the older god. "Did you find anything?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
Bloodshed growled, turning away from him. Damn it, where had he taken her?! There was not a trace of her anywhere! Not her scent, no fallen item of hers, not even a fallen item of his! Nothing! Absolutely nothing!   
  
Bombrush watched his son begin to pace, the trees around them groan from an unknown pressure. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the boulder cracked open.   
  
“You must calm down, Bloodshed.”  
  
Bloodshed stopped, turning to glare at the older jaguar. “Calm down?” he repeated, anger clearly in his voice. “My lover has been kidnapped by another god and you’re telling me to calm down?!”  
  
“For Thornstriker’s sake,” he said, standing still as he could hear the trees groaning painfully again. “You don’t want to do something you’ll regret… or something she will fear you for.”  
  
Bloodshed just stared at him for a few moments. Thornstriker’s sake. He looked at his feet. Bombrush, though he hated to admit it, was right.  If she was out there, he didn’t want to frighten her even more than she probably was with his destructive wrath.   
  
“We’ll find her, Bloodshed,” Bombrush assured him.  
  
“Can you promise me that?”  
  
Bombrush was quiet for a moment. The God of Flora was not a dangerous god. He couldn’t hurt a fly, let alone a mortal girl like Thornstriker. His powers were not meant for destruction. He was meant to make things beautiful, bring the beauty and take it with the changing of the seasons. While Bombrush did have the powers to do it himself, he had left it to the God of Flora to create the beauty in a vision that would please everyone. He was meant for beauty, not for danger.  
  
“Yes. We’ll find her, Bloodshed – alive and well.”   
  
Bloodshed said nothing, just staring at his father for a few moments. Then he growled to himself, turning away from him and continuing his search.   
  
Bombrush huffed, shaking his head as he turned away to continue to look around. This never should have happened. It didn’t even make sense as to why it even did. And why to her? Thornstriker hadn’t done anything wrong. Something like this shouldn’t have happened.   
  
He could only pray that Thornstriker was all right.  
  


* * *

Night had fallen by the time Landmine had finally allowed the roots to uncoil from her. But Thornstriker refused to speak to him. She didn’t even want to look at him. She just lied curled up on the mattress, always having her back to him as she hugged herself tightly.  
  
There was no way out. He had no intentions of letting her go. When she had screamed to be let go, to let her go home, he just kept telling her that she was home. She couldn’t leave him. Not after he had finally had the courage to even be in her presence. Besides, he loved her.  
  
She bit her bottom lip, shutting her eyes tightly as she hugged herself tighter. No, no he didn’t love her. His frightening obsession for her wasn’t love. He had watched her for nearly ten years now and had been taking her things for five. He told her that she was pretty, that he had always wanted to talk to her but couldn’t because he had been too scared. He said that he loved her, but was too afraid to get near her, so he took things that were like her. That smelled like her. That smelled like a pretty flower like her.   
  
He had told her all of this throughout the day. She didn’t ask him to tell, but he continued to talk to her anyway. He asked her if she was all right or if she needed anything. She never answered and never looked at him. For the most part, she just cried to herself.   
  
Much to her relief though, Landmine didn’t seem interested in anything perverted or disgusting like that. He always sat a foot away from her and all he seemed interested in doing is talking. It was like he was too scared to even touch her, let alone try anything. Not that she minded. She preferred it.   
  
She knew that there was no convincing him in letting her go. The god didn’t even see her as a person. It was as if she were some rare, exotic flower that was for him and only him. He was the only won to look at her, admire her, and, in his own sick way, love her.   
  
It was hell. And there was no way out.   
  
“Um… Y-You should eat so-something.”  
  
Thornstriker stiffened. No… No, he was back! Damn it, why couldn’t he just leave her alone?! She wanted to be left alone!  
  
“Pl-Please. I-I don’t want you t-to get sick. Y-You need to eat… P-Please?”  
  
She shut her eyes tightly.  _Go away. Just please go away._  
  
Landmine bit his bottom lip. She still wasn’t talking to him and she was still fasting. He didn’t know what to do! She wouldn’t eat! If she kept refusing to eat, she would surely die of malnourishment. He couldn’t have that! There was no way he could have that!  
  
“I-I’ll get you anything you want…” he said, now to the point of begging as his anxiety spiked up. “An-Anything! Just, p-please… Eat something?”  
  
She continued to ignore him, now starting to tremble a little. Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone? She didn’t want to even look at him, let alone talk to him! She wanted nothing to do with him. She just wanted to go home and be with her family. Be with Bloodshed...  
  
Bloodshed. Was he worried? Was he looking for her? He had to have been. He had always told her that she meant the world to him and more. He loved her so much that he would do anything for her. Die for her, kill for her... He was probably worried sick. As was her family. Where they looking for her too? Surely they were.  
  
But would they ever even come close to finding her? Would they ever actually find her? Or would she have to stay here forever? As Landmine's rose, his prisoner? She wanted to gag at the thought of it. She would surely die if she stayed. Eventually, the other would grow bored of her. He would no longer find her beautiful or rare or exotic. And when that day came, he would probably rid himself of her.   
  
She started to cry again, tears pouring down her face.  
  
Landmine flinched back when he heard her give a hard, broken sob. Oh no... She was crying again! No, no! He didn't want to make her cry! But he didn't know what to do. She was so upset. He hated seeing her like this. He had to do something. He just didn't know what.   
  
"N-No, please," he whimpered. "Pl-Please, please don't cry. I-I'll get you anything. Anything! J-Just pl-please don't cry... Don't cry..."  
  
In her own anger and desperation, she finally sat up and turned to face him, tears falling down her cheeks as she trembled violently. "L-Let me go!" she pleaded. "I-I want to go home! I-I don't want to be here! I WANT TO GO HOME!  _PLEASE, TAKE ME HOME!_ "  
  
He bit his bottom lip. He couldn't take her back. She was finally his. He had finally gotten her into his home. He couldn't just let her go and allow that to be that. Besides, she would tell everyone about him. She would tell everyone that he had taken her and everyone would find him and hurt him ever more than they already do. But... maybe he could show Thornstriker her home? Would she not be so upset anymore? He had to try. He didn't want her to cry.  
  
"I... I can't take you home... B-But I-I can let you see your f-friends and f-family."  
  
She looked up at him, confused. Let her see them? What did he mean that he’d let her see them?  
  
He slowly stood up, gesturing her to follow him. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes. She didn’t want to follow him, but she so desperately wanted to see her family. More than she wanted to be away from this monster.   
  
Walking away from her bed, they traveled through a few patches of heavy fauna before they entered a clearing. In this huge space was a simple, woody house. Flowers and vines and other flora grew into it and on it.  
  
"Y-You c-can see th-them in here." He opened the door for her.  
  
She was afraid to step inside. He had already kept her tied to that bed for a good half-a-day already. What if he was moving her to inside this house permanently? But she had nothing to lose. He wouldn't let her leave and he said he would let her see Bloodshed and the others. He didn't seem capable of lying.  
  
Not even bothering to look at his shaky self standing behind the door, she walked inside.  
  
She thought for brief moment there that she had entered some sort of crazy nightmare. In the center of the room was a simple bed, obviously for where Landmine slept. But surrounding his bed were shelves and clothes and towels. All the shelves were filled with toys, jewelry, spoons, forks, bowls, needles, glasses - simple dish wear and random items that had all been hers at one point. Her bowl, her necklace, her doll, her cup, her sewing needle - everything on those shelves was hers!   
  
Pinned up on the walls were towels that she had used to dry herself off. Some from when she had been younger and some were ones she had been missing recently! And her clothes... dress, tops, skirts, shoes - they were pinned up to the wall, as if they were prized pictures or artwork. None of the shoes were matching pairs. It was just one shoe per pair. The other shoes were at home because she had thought she lost the other shoes.  
  
But she hadn't. She hadn't lost anything. Everything had been stolen.   
  
And they were here. Like her. She had been stolen too.   
  
"W-What do you t-think?"  
  
She couldn't believe him. Did he think she was supposed to find this flattering? Find it beautiful?  
  
But the promise of seeing someone else besides him was the only thing that didn't make her snap out at him.  
  
"U-Um, where did you say I could see my loved ones?"  
  
"O-Oh, y-yes. In here." He walked over to the only other entrance in the house. It was a simple sliding wall that revealed a huge body of water. It must have been his bath or something. "L-Let me j-j-just... get it ready."  
  
Holding up his hand, a few different flowers grew out of nowhere. Thornstriker would have found it breathtaking if the god didn't suddenly squeeze them in his hand. She almost freaked out until he opened it up, revealing seeds and pollens in place of crushed flowers.  
  
Leaning down, he dipped them in the water before releasing them. He stepped back while the water began to churn a bit, swirls appearing here and there until the surface suddenly became calm and bright.  
  
"A-Ah… Y-You can c-c-come see them no-now."  
  
She wasn't certain what had happened, but she joined him by the side of the pool of water and peered inside.  
  
She was shocked to see Warpath. She was even more shocked to see him angry, yelling orders out to the other men with him as they continued to search the jungle. He looked so angry, so determined. He must have been one the heads of the search groups that were probably looking for her.  
  
A wave crested over to change the scene. It was her home, her house where she lived. But the sight inside it wasn't homely. Her brother and his wife were inside, obviously upset about something. It had to have been about her kidnapping.   
  
Airstream was sitting up in his bed, arguing with Wheeljack about something. She seemed upset as well, making motions to his foot that was wrapped up. Thornstriker could make out that Airstream had strained his ankle while looking for her. But he didn't want to stop. He wanted to continue searching for her. Wheeljack tried to be reasonable. She tried to tell him that others were looking for her and that it was only a matter of time before she was found.  
  
But it wasn't enough. Soon, Thornstriker held a hand over her quivering mouth as she saw her brother lose it, curling up into his lap as he started to cry. Wheeljack was fighting back the tears too as she did her best to comfort him. But it only resulted in them becoming a crying mess on the bed sheets.  
  
Then one final wave crested through the water. She felt her eyes widen even more. "Bloodshed," she whispered out breathlessly.  
  
Bloodshed was there in the reflection, running briskly in his jaguar form from place to place. He stopped now and then to sniff at anything: the ground, leaves, next to a body of water, anything.  Once in a while, another animal would appear in the reflection with him. A few she didn't recognize, but she was certain she had seen Nebula, Novabomb, and even Bombrush join her lover to talk quickly or search together several times.  
  
The poor black and red jaguar looked exhausted. She didn't know how long she had been in here. And she didn't know if Bloodshed had stopped even once in his search for her to get any rest at all. She could only feel the tears coming back as the god kept on going, never giving up his hunt for her.  
  
She buried her face into her hands. This was horrible. She had put everyone in such misery because of her disappearance, even if it wasn't by choice. Oh, she could imagine the fights her brother, lover, and friend had probably had because of her kidnapping. She knew Airstream and Warpath didn't like the god. They would probably argue his ability to protect her because of this. Maybe even see it as a reasonable excuse to prevent them from seeing each other.  
  
Thornstriker couldn't handle it. She was so afraid of what could happen when she went back. She didn't want to cause some kind of war between her god lover and her mortal family. She just wanted to be happy with people she considered family and the man she loved.  
  
"Thornstriker!"  
  
She looked up, tear-stained at the voiced. It couldn't be... "B-Bloodshed?"  
  
"Thornstriker! Please, answer me!" It was his, but it sounded so... hoarse. And scratchy.  
  
"Bloodshed!" She looked around to find the source of the voice. Seeing that it came from the water, she looked back into it.  
  
There he was. Bloodshed, in his proud jaguar form, screaming as loud as he could so she would hear him. Despite his coat being a dirty, unkempt mess and his voice as cracked as the old mystic lady in her village, he looked so beautiful there. Like he was just within reach...  
  
"Bloodshed!" She reached out with her hands to grab at his fur. To hold him to her skin again.  
  
Her hands slipped through the water and left a bright mess in her wake.  
  
The splashing water broke Thornstriker from her trance. She stared in horror at the water as she sat back up, watching the reflection take its place again on the calm water. "No..."  
  
She reached out for him again, only to have the same thing happen again. And again. And again. "No, No, NO, NO, NO! BLOODSHED! BLOODSHED, I'M HERE! I'M HERE!"  
  
Landmine just stared at her for a few moments. Surely she understood that what she was doing was futile. She was only seeing him. She wasn't actually there with him. He bit his bottom lip and said softly, "H-He can't hear o-or see you... Y-You can't touch him either... Y-You can only s-see him..."  
  
She jerked her head toward him, shaking violently as she started to hyperventilate. How could anyone do something so cruel like this? Allowing her to see, but never touch... The other person never hearing her or knowing where she was... Because he was selfish. He wasn't human. He was a monster. He was evil.    
  
As more tears poured down her face, she glared at the other, jumping to her feet. She raised up a fist and slammed it down on his arm, the god shocked when she did it. And then she did it again. And again. And again until both of her weak, shaking fists were slamming down on his body.  
  
" _You're evil!_ " she screamed at the top of her lungs. " _You're nothing but evil! You selfish, appalling, amoral monster!_ "  
  
He just stared at her wide eyes, shocked that she would say such a thing. She had never been so violent before. He had believed her to be incapable of violence.   
  
"You take me to him! I-He-He needs me! He needs me and I need him! TAKE ME BACK!  _YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE! YOU CAN'T!_ "  
  
"B-But I-I can't because y-you-"  
  
"No! No! NO! NO!" She started to feel faint, the blood rushing to her head. She was so angry, so upset, so desperate to get back to Bloodshed and her family that she was starting to feel dizzy and light-headed. It didn't stop her from screaming even louder though. "I AM NOT A ROSE! I AM A HUMAN BEING! YOU'RE A MONSTER! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A MONSTER! LET ME OUT!  _LET ME GO!_ "  
  
But everything soon rushed to her head. The fact that she hadn't eaten and she was so overwhelmed was too much for her to handle all at once. She soon fainted, falling to the ground with a thud, Landmine just staring at her with shock and fright.  
  
He didn’t understand. Why was she yelling at him? He didn’t do anything wrong! He let her see her loved ones, didn’t he?! And he wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t selfish. He wasn’t evil. He just loved her. He just wanted her to stay with him.  
  
Why? Why was she being mean to him? Why was she yelling at him? Why was she crying and screaming and protesting?! He felt angry, hurt – he had only tried to be nice to her. She was supposed to be a gentle person, a kind person. So why did she seem to hate him so much?  
  
He stretched out a hand to the girl, hesitantly resting a finger on her shoulder. He pushed her over so that she was on her back. Her cheeks were tear-stained, her eyes puffy and red. She looked so tired, like she had been through a tortuous hell.   
  
She needed to eat. She needed a bath. She needed tender, love, and care. He had been a terrible host. He wasn’t taking care of her the way he should have. She was delicate, fragile – he had to take better care of her. That must have been why she was so upset. Because he wasn’t treating her the way he should have. He didn’t want her to die. He had to get her to eat, to bathe, to rest. Otherwise, he feared the worst.   
  
Carefully, he lifted her up and held her against his chest. He moved the hair out of her face, stroking over her cheek. Even now, despite her appearance, she was still so very pretty. But a bath. She needed a bath.   
  
Biting his bottom lip, he carefully laid her down on ground. He blushed brightly as he slowly reached for her dress, his hands shaking. He felt incredibly nervous and felt like he was intruding on her privacy. But it had to be done.  
  
He shut his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t be so intrusive to her if he wasn’t looking. Carefully, he slipped her arms out her sleeves, carefully pulling off her shirt. Then, with trembling fingers, he went down to her skirt and cloth, slowly taking them off her beautiful naked body, though he refused to look at her. That was offensive. Not to mention he had never even seen a woman naked before.   
  
Once he undressed her, he opened his eyes (still avoiding her body, only looking at her face) gingerly lifted her up and rested her up against the edge of the pool. Her body was submerged into the water, Landmine moving her head back so her hair would get wet. He couldn’t leave her in there for long, but at least long enough for her to be clean.  
  
He tried to avoid looking at her. It was so… strange. He had never seen a woman naked before. Before this, he had never even spoken to a girl. He didn’t understand women. They were… almost like another species. There were certain things a man had to do, had to say, had to be… He was too scared to try, unless he wanted to fail. So, he could only stay away from them.   
  
He blushed as he realized he was touching an uncovered girl. He never dared to stray from her arms or legs, not wanting to touch her inappropriately or do something wrong.  But she was so… soft. And so… pretty.  
  
Landmine swallowed. No, no, he needed to stop it. He wasn’t like those other people. Those who only wanted to touch and take and hurt her. No, he wanted to treat her the way she should have been treated. He needed to preserve her, treasure her, love her from a distance.   
  
He had to keep her. For her own protection. So many wanted to hurt her, dirty her. He couldn’t let a beautiful rose like her get hurt.   
  
He had to protect her.   
  
At all costs.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been almost twenty-four hours since Thornstriker was taken and no one had found a  _single_  clue as to where she might be. Every time he called out to her, she never answered. She was nowhere to be found.   
  
Bloodshed reached a riverbed, panting hard and shaking a bit. He hadn’t eaten anything since she disappeared. It didn’t help that he hadn’t rested at all. He couldn’t! While his lover was who the hell knew where, he had to keep searching for her. But it was getting hard as he continued to waste more and more of his energy as he continued to search for her in vain.   
  
He lowered his head down to drink some water, feeling incredibly thirsty. He heard the bushes rustle behind him, making him turn his head.  
  
Bombrush, in his jaguar came out, dragging a dead elk over toward him. He plopped it on the ground, sitting back up to look at his son. “Bloodshed, it’s in the middle of the night.”   
  
“And I see you found time to hunt,” he growled, turning to face him. “Have you forgotten that we need to find Thornstriker?”  
  
“No, but you’ve forgotten that you’re not invincible.” He nudged the catch toward the other. “We will find her, Bloodshed, but you can’t look for her when you’re not healthy.”  
  
“I’m fine.”  
  
“Bloodshed, I know you want to find her. I understand that you have to find her… But you won’t be helping anyone if you don’t take care of yourself.”  
  
Bloodshed snarled at him, feeling his anger rising again. “Thornstriker is probably scared out of her mind right now! I should have found her and saved her a long time ago! I can’t give up on her! I have to find her! I have to!”  
  
Bombrush huffed, shaking his head. “I know. But you won’t find her if you’re sleep deprived and starving. You know that, even if she is scared, she wouldn’t want you to neglect your health for her sake.” He nudged the animal toward him again. “If you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for Thornstriker. Please.”  
  
The red and black jaguar’s eyes shifted to the dead animal. Fuck, yes, he was starving and, yes, he was tired, but he had to find her. He couldn’t just rest knowing that she was kidnapped by some reclusive, secretive god. But he knew that his father was right. Thornstriker would want him to eat, to rest, even if her life was endangered.   
  
Reluctantly, and much to Bombrush’s relief, Bloodshed allowed himself to dig into the animal, ripping and chewing into it. He huffed and sat down, watching his son eat the dead prey. He devoured the thing, Bombrush realizing that the young god was a lot hungrier than he let on. Well, at least he was eating. He knew if he brought up Thornstriker’s possible concerns, he would listen.  
  
But of course, he didn’t really know if she was even thinking that. For all he knew, she was crying or begging for someone to save her. He knew nothing of the God of Flora, so the god could have been torturing her at this very moment. He doubted it, but he couldn’t be certain.   
  
Eventually, Bloodshed finished devouring the animal and moved into a sleeping position. Of course, he didn't go to sleep right away. He just lied there, looking at the carcass in front of him. He shouldn't have been here. He shouldn't have been here and Thornstriker shouldn't have been missing. He should have been quicker on his feet. He shouldn't have hesitated when he heard her scream.  
  
Maybe he would have saved her in time. Maybe he wouldn't have let the God of Flora get away.   
  
He closed his eyes, laying his head down. He didn't want to go to sleep. He wanted to keep looking for her, but his search would have been no good if he just collapsed in the middle of the jungle out of pure exhaustion. He had to be well rested.   
  
 _Please... Let her safe. Please... Let her be okay._

* * *

It was early in the morning, maybe around six or seven. Airstream hadn't slept at all. He couldn't. He could only worry about his precious baby sister at the mercy of some horrid monster. Why? Why did these things have to happen to her? These horrific things... She was a good woman. She had never done anything to deserve such horrible things happen to her.   
  
He was currently sitting in on his bed, Wheeljack sleeping restlessly beside him. Well, at least she was sleeping... He reached and stroked over her tear-stained cheek. She may have not have been as worried as him, but Airstream knew Wheeljack loved Thornstriker like a sister. This was hard for her too.   
  
And Warpath... He wouldn't stop searching. He was so angry, so upset... If Airstream didn't know him better, he would have assumed the man had cried over her. Thornstriker was his best friend and the woman he loved. He had known this for years, even before the other had asked him for her hand in marriage. Airstream could not imagine what would happen to the young man if Thornstriker was never found.  
  
Slowly getting up, he went out to the kitchen to the jar of collected water they had in the house and dipped a bowl into it. He moved it to the main table as he began to look for a piece of clean cloth. He must have looked like a wreck at the moment. But he wanted to wash away the tears on his wife's face first.  
  
Unable to find cloth in the kitchen and not wanting to disturb his wife's slumber, he moved to the only other room in the house: his sister's room.  
  
The horrible ache in his heart came back as he entered it and stood at the entrance. It had only been disturbed once ever since Bloodshed had run out of it to look for his kidnapped sister. But in that one time, they had found nothing that could have helped lead them to Thornstriker.  
  
The bed where his sister slept looked almost normal. The blanket she slept under had been pulled back, so she hadn't been taken from the bed itself. He looked to the patch on the ground next to the bed where Bloodshed often slept when he stayed the night. He could only feel anger when he looked at it. That... god was supposed to have protected her. Bloodshed had sworn to him that no harm would come to his sister! But he had slept there, letting some... disgusting being take Thornstriker away!  
  
And now? He was nowhere in sight while his sister was in the hands of some monster or something worse that could be either torturing her or raping her or... He could not bear to think of her as dead.  
  
It didn't matter that it may not have been his fault. Wheeljack and some of the other men had noticed that something had happened in the main area of his house and that was probably where his sister had been snatched from. But he could have cared less where it happened... his sister had been taken and Bloodshed hadn't protected her.  
  
Grabbing a cloth from a table in Thornstriker's room, he went back to grab the bowl from the table in the main area to bring back to his room.  
  
He almost spilled all the water at the new arrival in the room.  
  
A bird was perched on his bed, its beak almost caressing his wife's forehead as she slept. Her restlessness seemed to have calm down somewhat as she was no longer shuffling or sniffing in her sleep. He had never seen this type of bird before and he was hesitant on what to do with creature in his room and over his wife's body.  
  
Carefully, he set down the bowl and the cloth on the end table. The bird perked up and looked at the other, titling its head as it stared at him. Airstream gave a weak laugh, stretching out a hand to the pretty bird. "Where did you come from?" he said softly. "Could you tell my wife needed comfort?"  
  
The bird looked at the hand for a moment before slowly gazing up at the other. So, this was the brother. She would have thought the man would have been less built, considering how weak and feeble his sister was. But she did not question it. This man was worried about his sister. She could tell just by how tired and how upset he looked.   
  
"I could tell you both need it."  
  
Airstream's eyes widened as he stared at the bird, taking back his hand. Did it... No... Did  _she_  just speak to him? Holy... He must have been much more tired that he believed himself to be. A  _bird_  was talking to him. This female bird was  _speaking_  to him. He must have gone mad.   
  
The bird turned her attention back over to Wheeljack, stroking over her forehead with her beak. "So, this is your wife... She is very pretty." The bird jumped up on the side table, next to the water bowl. "I'm sorry to hear what happened to your sister... But I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to find her."   
  
Airstream kept his hand on the wall behind him, trying not to faint from the shock. He wanted nothing more than to go to his wife's side, but the bird held his attention and his body refused to move. "W-Wait... what do you mean? How do you know about my sister? Who's we? Who are you?"  
  
She hushed him. "It's all right, child," she said, jumping onto the ground. "Please, allow me to explain."   
  
Airstream only took a step back as the bird suddenly morphed into a beautiful, young woman, her eyes glowing purple with thick brown curly locks. She wore a light lavender skirt with a dark purple sash, wearing a lavender bra-like top with a dark purple wrap. It only took him a moment to realize that she was a goddess, though he remained uncertain as to which one and only stared at her.  
  
What was she doing here? A goddess? Damn it, he didn't want to deal with gods or goddess! It was a  _god's_  fault that Thornstriker had been kidnapped in the place!  
  
"Please, don't be alarmed," she said, seeing his hand moving to his hunting knife that was attached to his belt. "My name is Eclipse... I am the Goddess of Day. I'm not here to hurt you."   
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
"I've only come to check on you and the village. And to inform you of our realm's efforts to find your sister."  
  
The hand on his knife twitched. "Wait, you mean..."  
  
She took a step forward, holding her hands out to show she meant no harm. "Yes, every god and goddess in our realm is doing their best to locate Thornstriker. We had heard the news soon after her kidnapping from Bloodshed."  
  
Airstream's hand slowly began to move off his hand. His face turned into one of confusion rather than shock. "B-Bloodshed? He... came to you for help?"  
  
"Not quite." She had hoped not to have to tell him about this, but she couldn't lie about what had happened. "We summoned him soon after we heard his roar."  
  
Airstream nodded. The whole village had heard Bloodshed's cry some time after he had left. It was a bad omen for if Bloodshed had been unable to find her back, there seemed to be little hope of them finding her.  
  
"We were mostly worried that he had become angry at your kind again and that was when he informed us of Thornstriker being kidnapped.  And..." She pursed her lips, hoping his reaction would not be one of violence at what she told him. "He accused one of our kind of being the kidnapper."  
  
His eyes widened. Bloodshed... accused one of the gods as being responsible for this? How could he accuse his own kind?! No, no - perhaps it was the same among gods as it was among mortals. Forcing the blame onto someone of their own kind because it was easy. Well, not in this case scenario... But Bloodshed hated mortals, not gods. With his disdain, shouldn't he have blamed a mortal?  
  
"I... I don't understand. Why would he-?"  
  
"The kidnapper outran him," she explained. "He said that no mortal would have been able to do it, so he accused one of our kind... Though we tried to tell him otherwise, he did say that he lost her scent because... of the harsh smell of roses."   
  
"Roses? But there are no roses on that side of the jungle!"  
  
She held up a hand to him. "We know. We confirmed that already." She sighed, turning her back to him as she faced the man's wife. She gently stroked over her cheek, which calmed the woman down a bit more. "We... have reason to believe that your sister was kidnapped by the God of Flora."  
  
He didn't move for a solid minute. Thornstriker... had been taken away... by a god? He fell back a bit against the wall. No... No, this couldn't be true. Not a god. A god had all power over her. She was probably at his mercy right now, as they spoke. Was he hurting her? Was he doing anything to her that she hated? No, no! Not Thornstriker!  
  
"What would he want with her?!" he snarled. "Thornstriker doesn't know him! What is his motivation?!"  
  
"We don't know either."  
  
"How can you-"  
  
"The God of Flora is a very reclusive, socially awkward boy. He does not speak to anyone - only mutters a thing or two here and there. He simply does what he needs to do as a god." She turned to face him, a grave look on her face. "We do not know why he took her. We do not know where he took her." Then she gave a soft laugh, looking down at her feet. "We do not even know his name."   
  
Airstream didn't know if he wanted to curl up on the floor in agony or hit her across the face with all his fury. "What in the hell do you mean?  How do you not know one of your own?"  
  
"It just... is."  
  
"One of your own goes rogue and you don't even know why?!"  
  
Wheeljack cringed from the yell, but did not wake. Eclipse stroked her head again to keep her asleep. "We do not know everything. We gods are like you humans in that we do keep things from others. Unfortunately, the god that took your sister kept almost everything about him to himself."  
  
The man couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You don't mean... Are you saying she'll... never be found?" His voice began to crack. The thought of her being locked away in some place where no one could find her. Could never rescue her from the mercy of a god that could very much be as sadistic as one's worst nightmare.  
  
"I assure you, young man." She went over to the young man to help him sit on the bed for his legs looked ready to give out. "Every god and goddess who doesn’t have immediate responsibilities is out there looking for her. She'll be found soon. She has to be."  
  
Airstream did not miss her that last sentence that she whispered out. Something was amiss. "Every... god?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I don't understand, why are... all of them looking?" He could understand it if it was only the God of Wrath's friends and father who were out looking for Thornstriker as well, but all of them? Not that he minded the extra help, but it just didn't seem right.  
  
Eclipse said nothing at first. This mortal was smart. Not to mention observant. For a moment, she wasn't sure what she should do. She would not lie to this man as she hated liars. But could he handle the truth? Well, surely, he could. He was a man, a warrior. And this was a case regarding his sister. He deserved answers to basically any question he asked.  
  
"Before your sister met Bloodshed... He was..." She paused, trying to find the right word or phrase. "He was out of control. Surely you know the story of his mother and how he gained his powers, yes?"  
  
Airstream nodded, suppressing a shiver. Hell, it was one of the reasons why he hated that Bloodshed and Thornstriker were lovers - Bloodshed was dangerous!  
  
"Bloodshed... He hated humanity. He still does, though it's to a much lesser degree." Eclipse looked out the window for a moment, recalling the violence Bloodshed committed. "He killed many people. Men, women, children... He even killed a few gods who tried to stop him from getting his revenge on your kind."  
  
She turned back to face the wide-eyed mortal. "He was planning to kill you all. The Council... We had decided to imprison him and possibly kill him if he were to carry out this plan. His father knew of it and tried to convince him to change... So he created a test that would challenge the belief that humans were not as evil or disgusting as he thought they were."  
  
She sighed, shaking her head. "Thornstriker was the only one who... passed, if you may. And because she did... whatever she did, Bloodshed did not hate humanity. Bloodshed loves your sister, more than I believe anyone can fathom. Without her... his world is nothing. This world is nothing. Everything becomes meaningless without her. Child, we need her alive. We need her to be found."  
  
Airstream just stared at her. Bloodshed... that was how he thought of her? He didn't know how to feel about that. He never knew he held her in such high regard... It was insane.   
  
"The God of Time..." Eclipse bit her bottom lip, not wanting to think about the vision he had shared. Yet, she knew she needed to tell him. He needed to know why they were searching as hard as they were. "He told us that if she is not found soon... Bloodshed will assume the worst. And when he does... We are all going to die. Because he will blame this world - not just the God of Flora - for taking her from him. He will kill us all until he finds Thornstriker. And nothing we can do will be able to stop him."   
  
Airstream just stared at the goddess in absolute horror. If Thornstriker was never found... Bloodshed would become like that? He felt his blood turn cold at the horrifying imagery, his mouth suddenly try. If he wasn't sitting on the bed, he would have collapsed to the ground. He couldn't feel his legs at all.  
  
Eclipse saw the look of terror on the other's face. Maybe it wasn't what he was expecting to hear, but he had asked and she would not lie. Gently, she touched his cheek. "Please, don't worry. We will find your sister. It will never come to that point."   
  
Then she turned away from them, going over to the window of his room and morphing back into a bird. "I will come back to give word on your sister's search soon. I assure you."  
  
"Do you really know that it won't come to that point?" he demanded. By this point, he was holding his wife's hand, squeezing it out of fear. "Can you really say that will never happen?"  
  
The bird looked at the man and his sleeping wife for a few moments. No, she couldn't promise that. For all she knew, Thornstriker would never be found. No one would ever see her again... And Bloodshed would lose his mind and kill everyone.   
  
"I can never say that anything is certain." Then she flew away, leaving Airstream alone to stare after her.   
  
The poor man, unsure of what to do, could only lie down next to his sleeping wife. With shaky arms, he pulled her into his embrace.  
  
He was in too much shock to do much else. The thought of the world ending because his sister not being found. Or perhaps because they found her murdered by this reclusive god. Or the thought of her being found, but traumatized to the point that she would never be the same kind and compassionate girl she was.  
  
But the thought of her holding the life of the whole world in her hands. Her life being the only thing holding back a vengeful god.  
  
Exhaustion eventually took hold of Airstream's mind. With his mind burdened and his strength zapped, the poor soul finally fell into slumber, holding his wife close to his beating heart.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning had been horrible. When Thornstriker had finally woken up, she was weak from not eating yesterday. Then she had discovered that Landmine had not only stripped her off her clothes and changed her into a light green dress (which was originally hers, but he had stolen it), but he also had bathed her and carried her back to her mattress by the rose bushes.   
  
He was currently at her bedside, trying to get her to eat. He had brought her a large fruit bowl, which was filled with nothing but some of the freshest looking fruit she had ever seen. Apparently, from what he had been telling her, it had all been grown right here in his undeniably magnificence garden. He placed it by her mattress, asking her if she would please eat because he didn't want her to starve herself.   
  
She looked at the food, she looked at him, and she looked back at the direction of his house. It hadn't been a dream. She had really seen Bloodshed last night through the water. But he could not see her, hear her, or touch her. He could only scream out to her, hoping that she would respond to his call. And while she did, he never heard her. He couldn't.  
  
She looked at Landmine again before her gaze fell to the offer food. She couldn't starve herself. Bloodshed was looking for her and, eventually, he would find her. She couldn't allow anything preventable to happen to herself. If for him, she would remain healthy. But only for Bloodshed. Not for the god in front of her.  
  
She slowly picked up an apple and brought it to her mouth, taking a small bite out of it. It tasted so good, but at the same time, she hated it. It made her want to cry. She wanted to go home. She would rather eat a slightly bruised apple than the one she had in her hand. It wasn't right. This wasn't right.  
  
Thornstriker ignored the smile on Landmine's face as he watched her eat. Could he not understand that she wasn't doing this for him? She didn't want to be beautiful or pretty or healthy for him. This was for her lover, not her captor. She would never do anything for him.   
  
She paused, biting her lip as she glanced back up at the other's happy, smiling face. It sent a shiver down her spine and she was forced to turn away from it, taking another bite out of the apple.  
  
Thornstriker couldn't believe it. Even after what he had done, she didn't hate Landmine. She wanted to, though. She wanted to hate him so badly because he had taken her away from her family, her friends, and her lover. He had stolen her things for his own disturbing collection. He had tied her up to her bed. He had shown her how everyone was dealing with her disappearance and then he stripped her and bathed her like he had a right to do that.  
  
Airstream had once told her that she was incapable of hating, that it simply wasn't in her nature. She never believed him though. She had simply believed that she had not met anyone worth hating, but she knew that everyone could hate. And yet, she couldn't. Hate required courage. Hate required her to see the other as someone beneath her, someone unworthy of anything.  
  
She did not have any courage with Landmine. She didn't hate him, but she feared him. He was the most horrifying thing she had ever come across. She didn't know his motives, his intentions. He may have smiled at her like a child, but she did not see a child. He was a monster, a monster who only wanted to keep her locked up and in a cage, only for his eyes to see.   
  
She was his flower. His beautiful rose.  
  
And that was all she was.   
  
“H-How does it t-taste?” he asked.   
  
She looked up at him as she swallowed another bite. He was fidgety, nervous. It was as if her answer would make or break him. She gave a small, quiet breath.   
  
“It’s fine,” she said, taking another bite.  
  
He smiled a bit, nodding to himself. He would have to make the fruit grow fresher next time. He only wanted her to have the best. She deserved only the best.   
  
Thornstriker could feel her strength coming back to her. When she finished the apple, she moved to the strawberries and ate all six of them. They were so sweet and yet, she hated them. But she needed to eat. She needed to stay healthy and alert.  
  
She finally couldn’t force herself to eat anymore of his food. It was making her sick just thinking about digesting it. She pushed the bowl away, taking a deep breath as she hugged herself. “I’m full,” she murmured softly.   
  
“O-Oh, okay.”   
  
He took the bowl away from her, putting it on one of the tables by her bed. Then he moved himself, sitting crisscross right next to her bedside. He watched as she bit her bottom lip and looked down at her feet. She was so cute, so pretty… He wanted to do so much for her. He wanted to know her even more than he did. He just didn’t know where to start.  
  
He cleared his throat, making her look up at him. “H-How are you feeling? A-Are you feeling better?”  
  
“Physically,” she murmured softly, looking away from him once again.  
  
“O-Oh… I-Is there anything I-I can do?” He reached out to her, hoping to stroke her arm in a comforting manner.   
  
When she saw the hand come toward her, Thornstriker jumped back, letting out a small shriek and falling back down on the bed. “D-Don’t touch me!” she cried, crossing her arms in order to protect herself. “Pl-Please! J-Just don’t touch me!”  
  
He jerked his hand back, staring at her with wide eyes at the sudden, blunt rejection. At first he didn’t understand. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Then he stopped for a moment. He… He had seen her naked yesterday. He… had touched her in order to clean her. She must have felt violated or something.   
  
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling terrible. But he had to do it! She needed a bath! She looked so tired and haggard… She needed to be bathed.   
  
“I… I’m sorry,” he murmured, his cheeks reddening a bit. “I-I know I sh-shouldn’t have given you a-a bath… B-But you looked like y-you needed one… I-I thought I was d-doing the right th-thing…”   
  
He seriously though that was the main issue? She didn’t know whether to scorn him or pity him. This god had no comprehension of other people’s feelings. Unless not the deeper implication of it. He understood above the surface issues. But below it? No. He understood nothing.   
  
It was how she knew he didn’t love him. He had no idea what love was. He didn’t love  _her_. He loved her beauty, her resemblance of a rare rose. Couldn’t he understand he was confusing obsession for love?  
  
She bit her bottom lip and, in a shaky voice, said, “Wh-Why…?”  
  
He looked up at her, stunned that she was talking to him.   
  
“Wh-Why me?” she asked in a soft, frightened voice. “W-Why do you love me? I… We have never even spoken to each other… S-So why?”  
  
He stared at her for a few moments. Why? Because he did. Because she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. She was kind. She wasn’t mean to anyone. She was always thinking of others. And when she smiled or laughed… It made his heart flutter.  
  
So many times. There were so many, many times where he just wanted to make himself known to her. To just talk to her. So maybe she would smile at him the way she smiled at others. But he didn’t know how to approach her. She was a girl. He didn’t know how to interact with them! And she wasn’t just any girl. She was so much more than that. She was so beautiful and she hadn’t even been a creation from nature. She was… He didn’t even know. But she was special and he loved her.   
  
“Y-You… aren’t like e-everyone else,” he said softly, looking down at his feet. “I… E-Everyone else th-thinks I’m weird… A-And th-they’re always making fun of me a-and t-talking about me…”  
  
He closed his eyes, trying to force the memories of being taunted and teased as a child for his title as the God of Flora. He was weak, stupid, weird, a girl – he was a freak. And when he grew up, when his body and personality began to change, his parents were dead and couldn’t explain anything to him. He didn’t know any adults either, so he had to learn himself.   
  
And he learned poorly, though he didn’t think so.    
  
“You… You were a-always nice to everyone,” he murmured. “A-And you were al-always smiling… and laughing… Y-You were n-never mean to anyone… You’re s-so… beautiful.” He swallowed, blushing a bit. “A-And I-I thought that… that you w-would be n-nice to me, too… I-If I ever talked to you…”   
  
She gave him a soft look. She didn’t want to, but she pitied the poor god. He was a bullied child who didn’t know how to love, who didn’t understand it because no one really showed it to him. She bit her bottom lip. No, no she couldn’t feel sorry for him. He may have had things rough, but many others did too and they turned out to be human. Like Bloodshed…  
  
“Why couldn’t you just talk to me?” she said. “I… I would have been happy to... speak with you." It wasn't a lie either. Before all this, if Landmine had ever tried to speak to her, she would have gladly spoken to him without a care. She wouldn't have feared him and she wouldn't want to hate someone like she wanted to hate him.   
  
"I-I was sc-scared," he whimpered. "I-I didn't want it t-to be a l-lie... I-I wanted t-to just s-see you as always a n-nice person... I-I didn't want to be re-rejected by you b-because I... I-I'm like this."    
  
"I... wouldn't have rejected you based on your appearance or timid nature." Thornstriker rubbed her arm, not sure what to say. Was she supposed to tell him that everything was all right or something? Because she wouldn't.   
  
"R-Really?" he asked. "You... You would have t-talked me?"  
  
"O-Of course..." Was speaking with her that important to him? She couldn't understand why he was so obsessed with her. There were plenty of people like her, nice and willing to talk to people. She wasn't special... She just happened to be the first person he saw.   
  
"W-Would you have played g-games with me? C-Could we have t-taken walks together?"  
  
"I-I would have been glad to if you had just talked to me first."   
  
Landmine smiled brightly, sending a chill down Thornstriker's spine, though he remained oblivious to him.   
  
"W-Would you have been my fr-friend?"  
  
"I-If we had gotten to know each other... I... I don't see why not."   
  
"C-Could we be friends now?"  
  
She was hesitant at what to say, but she knew she had to say something. "W-We could work on that now."  
  
"S-So w-we can be... friends?"  
  
"...Yes. It'll be hard, b-but we can start to learn about each other. And then when we understand each other some more, we can be friends."  
  
Landmine couldn't have smiled any brighter. Yes, she wanted to be his friend. She wanted to be friends with him! And to think that she had been so upset with him last night... She forgave others so easily. Maybe one day, she would love him too. Perhaps she was already on her way to love now... And then, they would be happy together. For the rest of eternity.   
  
He scooted closer to her, feeling a bit bolder now that she wanted to know him better. She stiffened, especially when he barely touched her cheek with his finger, stroking over the smooth skin. "It's okay," he said softly. "E-Even if it is hard... W-We have all the time in the world to get to know each other... B-Because y-you'll always be here w-with me... We'll be together forever."  
  
She just stared at him with wide eyes. What did he just say? They would be together... forever? She paled at the thought. No, no he had to be lying. She couldn't be with him forever. No... No!  
  
"F-For-Forever?" she repeated, the color training from her face as she slowly rose to her feet, backing away from him.  
  
He had been so enthralled at the idea that she would be his friend forever that it was only until she was several feet away from and still backing up that he noticed her changed expression. "Th-Thornstriker?"  
  
She continued going back until she hit one of the shelves that held her stolen goods. "You... You never plan to let me go?"  
  
If the reclusive god had any sort of social interaction, he probably would not have said what he was about to say. "I-I can't let you go back outside. It's d-dangerous out there. If y-y-you stay here forever, you'll be s-safe. You'll b-be happy. With me."   
  
She wanted to vomit. This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening! He would never let her go? Never see her family again? Her friends? Not even Bloodshed? No, no, no! He-He couldn't do that! She wanted to go home! She didn't want to stay with him until she died, never interacting with anyone other than this god... This monster!  
  
He stretched out a hand toward her again, as if to pull her back and keep her from running. But when she saw the hand come toward her, she smacked it away hard, much to the other's shock. "Thorn-"  
  
"NO!" she screamed as loud as she could. "D-DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!"  
  
Before he could reach out again, she had already cleared the little area and started running back into the woods again. "T-Thornstriker! W-Wait!" He didn't understand! Why was she acting like this again?!  
  
The poor woman only ran a few meters before the flowers started to bloom on her again. "No! No! NO! Let me go! Let me go, please! I want to go home! LET ME GO HOME!" With her strength having been returned to her from the food she had eaten, she was strong enough now to have a chance at fighting the flowers due to Landmine only trying to calm her down and not restrain her.  
  
The flowers kept blooming and growing, but Thornstriker was not about to give up again. She would not allow herself to become this... mad god's decoration! She had to... no, she would find a way out of here! And then she'd go back to everyone who was worried about her.  
  
Nebula, Novabomb, Bombrush, Wheeljack, Warpath, Airstream, Bloodshed...  
  
She recalled the agonizing look on the god's face when his efforts to look for her became more and more futile. If he couldn't find her... she could not bear the thought of what would happen to him if he thought her lost forever.  
  
Her will stronger than before, she was able to start crawling further away from the god approaching her as she ripped at the vines and flowers. She was oblivious to the carnage of flower petals around her or that her hands were starting to bleed from the little cuts she had gotten from the sharp leaves on some of the vines.  
  
Landmine was finally forced to make her flowers more forceful, though it was not as restricting as before because of his mindset at seeing her hurt and bleeding. "P-Please Thornstriker... Y-You're bleeding... Pl-Please, stop..."  
  
"LET ME GO!" she begged, still ripping at the flowers, though more and more were popping up on her dress as she frantically ripped at the growing flowers, trying to free herself. But eventually and much to her horror, she was brought down to the ground, vines coiling around her tightly to hold her arms to her sides. She screamed in horror and agony, tears pouring down her face as she tried to free herself.  
  
"LET GO OF ME! I WANT TO GO HOME! I WANT TO BE WITH MY FAMILY! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!  _LET ME GO!_ " Then she wailed in anguish, tears pouring down her face as she tried to break free, but was utterly immobile.   
  
He shushed her, stroking over her hair as she pitifully sobbed out "Don't touch me" over and over again. But he tried to calm her down, shaking a bit at the sight of the blood and her crying. She was supposed to be safe here. Nothing was ever supposed to hurt her... And yet the flowers...  
  
"I'm sorry," he murmured, gently lifting her up, despite her agonized scream. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to hurt you... L-Let me take care of y-your injuries... Pl-Please."  
  
Thornstriker didn't have much of a choice, still crying hard as he carried her over to his house. She shook her head violently, trying to free herself from her binds, but it proved to be useless. But she didn't want to go back there! She hated that place! It was a horrid shrine! It was where his trophies of his obsession were! She didn't want to see that!   
  
"LET ME GO!" she begged. "I-I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE! PLEASE, STOP!"  
  
Landmine's hands shook as she continued to scream and struggle all the way back to the house. It only got worse as he walked through where he kept all her things to get to the bath.  
  
But as he loosened the vines around her hands and arms to clean them, she suddenly started to rip at the other vines, leaving Landmine to look on in shock as she ripped apart the rest of her bindings. Once they were all removed, she moved back to the other side of the room.  
  
Landmine just stared at her as she huddled in the corner of the bath, trying to get as far away as possible. She was trembling violently, crying hard with her arms over her face. He bit his bottom lip as he saw the blood, knowing it was his fault. He could understand why she was so scared. He had hurt her when he said he wouldn't. He felt horrible. Would she ever talk to him again?  
  
"I-I'm sorry," he murmured softly, not moving toward her. "I... I didn't m-mean to hurt you..." He swallowed, wanting to cry because he was so upset with himself for hurting her. "I... I'll go g-get s-something for your h-hands..." He waited for her to respond, but she never did. With a heavy huff, he turned away to leave the bathroom. Before he closed the door, he looked back at the crying girl, face filled with sorrow and confusion.  "I... I'll come b-back with some b-b-bandages s-soon."  
  
Too upset by the scenario and unable to figure out how to fix it, he closed the door, finally leaving Thornstriker to herself for the first time since she got there.  
  
Thornstriker desperately tried to wipe her tears away, trying to calm herself down. She wiped her hands on her dress, not caring about the bloodstains. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to be with her loved ones. She hated this place. She just wanted to go home!  
  
She looked over at the water, tears falling into it. Though she wanted to see them, seeing her family wasn't enough. She wanted to touch them, be there with them. She wanted to hug Warpath, to let him know she was okay. She wanted to hold her brother, to pat him on the shoulder just like always when he got worried about her. To let Wheeljack hold her to the older woman's bosom, to feel the other woman's comforting presence around her.  
  
And Bloodshed. Oh, how she wished to be with him so badly. To caress his cheek, to scratch him behind the ears in his jaguar form. To hold that soft fur to her on a cold night. To feel him hold her to him, touch her, make her feel so good. She wanted to be with him so badly. She yearned for his kisses and caresses.  
  
Curling up next to the water, she let a hand fall into it in a desperate hope that this time she could reach through it. That she could go under it and go to where her family, her friend, and her lover were. To let them know she was alive and that she missed them.  
  
But when nothing happened, she brought it back up as she burst into tears again, her tears and hair falling on top of the water's surface. She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice the ripples in the water were shaking her reflection and now starting to glow a light pink shade. She just continued to cry, not noticing the transparent figure in the water staring at her with a soft, sad look on her face.   
  
As she let out another sob, she heard a bit of the water splash. Thinking it was Landmine, she jerked her head up, only to freeze when she saw that it wasn't him at all. It was a... spirit?  
  
Well, only her head poked out the water, looking at her with big, bright white eyes. The woman was completely transparent, not so much a woman as much as she was a form of one, glowing a bright pink shade.  
  
Thornstriker gasped, backing up a bit from the water. What was that? It wasn't one of Landmine's former victims, was it? She felt like she was going to faint! Why couldn't he just let her go and leave her alone?!  
  
Then, the spirit gave a soft hum, moving toward her. Thornstriker flinched, now trembling in fear as the spirit drew closer. "Wh-Who are you?" she demanded.  
  
But she wasn't given an answer as the woman only gave a soft and gentle coo. The mortal could only bite her lip, gasping when a transparent hand stretched out to her, calling her toward the water. She could only stare for a few moments, unsure of what to do. What did the spirit want? Why did she want her?   
  
Slowly and unsurely though, she moved over to the spirit, but did not reach out to the hand that was offered to her. "Ar-Are you… Did Landmine bring you here too?"  
  
The poor woman was almost certain that she would be the next victim of this disturbed god before the spirit shook her head and held out her other hand to her. It most definitely seemed like the spirit wanted her to come into the water.  
  
"W-Why?" That was one thing digging into the back of her mind. Why did this spirit want her to go into the water? Was it trying to help her? Or was it trying to kill her to spare her the pain of being held prisoner by the God of Flora?  
  
At this point, Thornstriker didn't care. She needed to get out of here and this ghost seemed to have the escape plan that she had been hoping for the whole time she was here.  
  
The spirit gave a soft hum. Before Thornstriker could figure what she was doing, two hands shot out of the water and grabbed her wrists. She gasped at the touch, actually feeling the ghost's fingers. But she didn't have time to think about it as she was suddenly pulled into the water, being yanked deep into the pool.  
  
She panicked at first. She couldn't swim well! If the spirit was going to kill her, couldn't it have been in a less frightening way?! She didn't want to drown, but at this rate, she surely would!  
  
But the spirit's hands moved up her arms, going to her face. She panicked for a moment, thinking she was going to choke her. But she pushed her hands over her face, Thornstriker could suddenly breathe again. For a moment, she thought she had died. But she couldn't have - she could feel herself being pulled down deeper and deeper.  
  
Then, suddenly, the spirit removed her hands from her face. Thornstriker panicked, but then the ghost starting pushing her up toward the surface. Though frightened, she struggled to reach the surface, kicking and moving her legs as she was pushed from the bottom. But then she finally broke the surface, Thornstriker panting and gasping for air. She saw the ledge and scrambled for it, reaching it and clawing her nails into it.   
  
She pulled herself up onto the ledge, coughing and panting hard as she shook violently. She could have drowned! Had the spirit really attempted to kill her?  
  
But as she collapsed onto the ground to look up, she was shocked to see the stars over her head instead of the woody roof of the Flora God's house. And the ground wasn't the hard wooden surface of the floor, but rather soft earth and sand formed into her back's curves.  
  
Sitting up, she looked in awe at the beautiful sight of the waterfall and the clear pool of water it flowed into... wait.  
  
Thornstriker looked around again. She knew this place. She had been here before. With Bloodshed. Yes, Bloodshed had brought her here. To his favorite secret place. And then they had...  
  
Despite the exhausting past two days she had experienced, she still had it in her to blush as red as the strawberries she had recently eaten at the memory of her first time with Bloodshed. She was so caught up in the embarrassing moment that she didn't notice the spirit coming out of the water and sitting next to her until it cooed again.  
  
She gasped and jumped, looking at the spirit. From what she could tell, Thornstriker could have sworn that the woman was smiling softly at her, rubbing over her shoulder. This spirit... had brought her here. This spirit... had... freed her?  
  
"Wh-Who... are you...?" she whispered softly.  
  
The spirit only hummed, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Then, slowly, she faded away.   
  
"W-Wait!" Thornstriker cried, reaching out to the disappearing figure.   
  
But the spirit left her, leaving her alone on the ground. The mortal could only pant and tremble, looking around the area. She had to find Bloodshed. She had to find anyone who might have been looking for her! She had a horrible feeling that Landmine would discover that she was gone and he would frantically be searching for her. Like a child who lost his favorite toy...  
  
She jumped to her feet and looked around the area. She had to think. She had only been here a few times, so she wasn't sure which direction was the right direction toward home. But she knew she came from the west... Damn it, she didn't have time for this. She turned around and ran toward where she knew she would eventually run into someone. Or at least she prayed.   
  
She pushed aside branches and giant leaves, hoping to find a landmark or something that would give her some hope that she was going in the right direction. Unfortunately, the only thing she could do at this point was keep running and hope she found someone _other_  than Landmine. It was too risky to call out; Landmine would hear her as well.  She had nothing to make a signal or anything. And she did not have heightened senses or god-like powers that could send a message or something to her loved ones.  
  
With fear nipping at her heels, Thornstriker ran on and on into the darkness of the jungle.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she had been running for, but it had been dark out when she had emerged from the hidden waterfall. She could see the oranges and purples peeking over the horizon as she trudged through muddy ground.  
  
Thornstriker had had no luck so far finding anyone or anything. She didn't even lay eyes on any sort of road! All she had seen was the vast and plump jungles that surrounded her from eye to eye.  
  
Despite hope being so close, the poor woman started to feel more and more dread as the minutes went on. Landmine surely had to have known she was gone at this point. And he was probably looking for her as well with all his power.  
  
Being neck deep in the flora and fauna of the jungle did not help her situation at all.  
  
Stopping to catch her breath, Thornstriker looked around hoping that the light of morning would give her something to go off of. Anything to help her find someone who could prevent Landmine from taking her again.  
  
Then she thought she saw something a bit away. It looked man-made. Desperation taking over, she sprinted full speed to the site.  
  
It was an old altar of some kind. Perhaps one for an old god or something that been forgotten.  Though it seemed abandoned, at least it was a sign of life. Thornstriker sat down on it, breathing to calm her racing heart. She rested a hand on her chest, trying to collect her breaths. All right, she had found a source of life. It had to have meant that she was close to a village. Maybe hers? She wasn't sure. Still, it was something to go by.  
  
She slowly rose to her feet. The sun was starting to rise, meaning it would be easier for her to navigate through the jungle. She had probably gotten lost during the night, but at least she had found this altar. She should have been all right-  
  
"Why did you try to run from me?"  
  
Thornstriker froze, her eyes widening in horror at the sound of the voice. No, no it couldn't be true. There was no way he could have found her! Now trembling, she slowly turned around, seeing the God of Flora looking down at her, sweaty and panting and looking like he had gone through hell and back.  
  
She shrieked and turned to run, but he caught her by the arm, causing her to gasp as he yanked her toward him.  
  
"Why did you run away from me?" he demanded desperately, looking down at her with hurt and confused eyes. Thornstriker noted that he no longer had his stutter, that there was something else in his voice aside from fear. She swallowed. He was... angry, upset. She could tell when his grip on her arm tightened. "Why...? Why did you run away?!"  
  
He shoved her down onto the floor, Thornstriker crying out in pain as she hit the ground hard. She scrambled away from him, though he came toward her, glaring at her while looking like he was about to cry.   
  
"I love you!" he shouted. "I've always loved you! I only want to protect you! Why can't you understand that?! Why can't you - _STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM ME!_ "  
  
Thornstriker had gotten up and tried to make a break for it into the jungle, but Landmine would have none of that. Vines suddenly stretched out and blocked her from diving into the jungle. She yelped and jumped back, gasping in horror when she felt a hand on her shoulder yank her down to the ground. She shrieked as he pinned her down, keeping her there as he continued to yell at her, tears now starting to fall down his face.  
  
"You were supposed to be different!" he yelled. "You were supposed to be different from everyone else! Didn't you say you would try to be my friend?! Didn't I say I would protect you?!  _Didn't I say that I loved you?!_ "   
  
Roots suddenly came up from the ground, forcing Thornstriker's arms and legs to the ground, keeping her pinned spread-eagle. She paled in fright, heart racing as her breath quickened. For a moment, she felt like she couldn't breathe and felt like she was going to die in that second.  
  
He grabbed her by the dress, yanking her up to look him in the eyes. She shrieked, frozen stiff as he continued to yell at her, shaking her roughly.   
  
"I love you!" he screamed again, still crying hard as his face grew red. "I love you so much! Why can't you understand that?! I just want to be with you forever! For all of eternity! Why do you hate me so much?! All I did was love you and  _this_  is how you treat me?! I never did anything wrong! I ONLY LOVED YOU!"  
  
He yanked too hard on her dress, ripping it and exposing her breasts to him. His eyes widened at the sight, while Thornstriker froze up entirely. She flashed back to the time when that cult had tried to rape her. Where they had kidnapped her as well, held her down as they ripped her clothes away from her, looking down at her with those twisted, evil eyes.  
  
Her rationality disappeared entirely as she screamed a horribly loud scream to the heavens. It almost didn't sound human, just a choir of fear, desperation, and the utter hopelessness one would feel staring death in the face. Landmine, having snapped out of it a bit at the sight of her bare chest, closed his eyes and crushed his hands to his ears at the terrifying sound coming from Thornstriker.  
  
For the first time in almost three days, luck was on Thornstriker's side. By fate's draw, the four gods and goddess closest to her were just in the area when the inhuman cry was heard. All four froze in shock or fear because of it. But despite the lack of words or human sounds that was in it, the voice that carried it was all too familiar.  
  
Novabomb spoke first. "Wasn't that...?"  
  
Bloodshed didn't even wait to let him finish his sentence. He ran toward the voice first, the old jaguar following behind him first while the harpy eagle and the python followed close behind.  
  
That was Thornstriker. That was her voice! But what the hell was causing her to make such a horrible sound?! What was that fucking god doing to her?! When he heard her let out another scream, he ran even faster than before.   
  
Bombrush did not like any of this. He had no idea what was happening to Thornstriker at the moment. He had no idea what kind of being the God of Flora was. And Bloodshed was getting too far ahead of them, running right into a battle zone with no plan or any clear thought at all except for getting to Thornstriker.  
  
Before they possibly enter the fight of their lives, he called out to the bird. "Novabomb!"  
  
"What? Is something wrong?"  
  
"If the conflict with the God of Flora starts to look bad, I need you to return to The Underworld to get the Council."  
  
"What?!" he bird and the python yelled back.  
  
"I can't abandon you guys like that!" Novabomb added  
  
"Novabomb, listen to me." He looked ahead to his son, who was starting to fade into the depths of the jungle. "There may be a possibility that we might not be able to stop this god. If that happens, he could take Thornstriker back and we may never see her again! You're the fastest out of all of us! At the first sign of trouble, fly as fast as you can to the Council! They may be the only ones who can stop this god if we're unable to!"  
  
Novabomb glanced at the slithering snake. Both of them hated the idea of abandoning their friends to battle, but Bombrush was right. If they failed to get Thornstriker back at this opportunity, they would probably never be another. And if that were to happen... the end of the world would truly come upon them by their friend's wrath.  
  
The bird nodded, the three of them going as fast as they could to catch up with the God of Wrath. And luckily, before he reached where he knew Thornstriker was, they had caught up to him and ran alongside him, hoping that they weren't too late.  
  
Finally, they reached the clearing, all of them skidding to a halt as they looked around. And they all froze at the side.  
  
Thornstriker was pinned down spread-eagle, tears rolling down her face with the top of her dress ripped up and with her breasts exposed. She looked absolutely horrified, almost as if she were looking up at a monster. The God of Flora... Who was now sitting above her, looking completely confused and frightened as he looked down at the girl.  
  
The two of them looked over at the spectators, the God of Flora paling at the sight of the two jaguars, the harpy eagle, and the python. No... No... No! No, they were going to take her away from him! No, he couldn't have that! He couldn't!  
  
Thornstriker just stared at them with wide eyes, bottom lip trembling. Was this a dream? Was she actually seeing Bloodshed and his father and his friends standing only three yards away from her? She didn't know what to think or what to say. She didn't even know how to act. In a soft voice, one wrapped in complete disbelief, she whimpered out, "Bl-Blood... Bloodshed...?"   
  
Bloodshed didn't know what had happened or why the God of Flora was like standing over her, holding part of Thornstriker's dress in his hand. This was the God of Flora. This was the bastard that had taken his lover from him.  
  
This was the fucker he would rip the heart out of and shove it down his throat.  
  
Bombrush glanced over at his son, who was crouching down and snarling like a madman. He looked to Novabomb, who still had yet to move as he stared at his friend in horror.  
  
"Novabomb, go," he order, though the bird didn't move.  
  
Bloodshed snarled at the other god, "You... What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Nova, do as I told you!"  
  
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Then Bloodshed roared and jumped at the smaller god, who quickly scrambled away from the girl and got up to run.  
  
"NOVABOMB, GO NOW!" Bombrush shouted, the younger god finally snapping out of his daze and flapped around frantically. With a sharp flight call, the God of Chaos flew up into the sky and headed toward the Underworld, praying that he would make it before it was too late.   
  
Back in the clearing, the God of Wrath was almost on top of the God of Flora. Bloodshed's murderous charge had gotten the other to get away from Thornstriker while the other two rushed to her side to release her.   
  
"Damn it!” Nebula snarled. “I can't make these fucking roots break!"  
  
Bombrush took a try, his canines having no luck chewing through them. He wished he could have asked Thornstriker for some clue, but the poor girl was too focused on the conflict between the other two. The God of Flora had managed to dodge his son, turning into a ferret to escape the other's claws. Bloodshed was keeping the other on his toes, but Bombrush soon noticed the immediate danger.  
  
"Nebula, call for the snakes!"  
  
"I doubt they can chew through this either!"  
  
"No, go help Bloodshed! If the God of Flora gets into the jungle, we're screwed! Keep that damn ferret in the clearing where he doesn't have an entire jungle to use against us!"  
  
The python only nodded as she slithered away to join the dueling gods. Bombrush attempted another bite at a root, but it was too thick for him to break. The rest were too close to Thornstriker's body or too small for him to do anything.  
  
"Bloodshed, look out!"  
  
The older jaguar had just finished turning into his human self in hopes of freeing her when he heard her call. He looked up to see his son covered in two white flowers, their roots and vines constricting his body while the ferret made a break for the jungle.  
  
But a python managed to get a bite in to slow it down. The ferret made another crack at the jungle only to find hordes of snakes slithering and blocking its path.  
  
Two loud cracks resonated from the constricted god, who didn't seem to notice patches of his fur missing from using his power too close to his body. The God of Wrath kept his red eyes focused on the other meek god while his snake ally waited, ready to pounce and grab the rat's neck and break it.  
  
Bombrush took his eyes off them for a second as he made more attempts to break them. But nothing he did helped.  
  
Sniffling came from the root's captive, causing the God of the Jungle to look up to see Thornstriker crying. Avoiding any looks to her exposed chest, the god reached out to stroke her cheek. "It's all right, dear. We're not going to let that god take you away again. I'm going to get you out of here soon, just you wait."  
  
He was not expecting more tears to come from her as she turned to him, despair and agony in her eyes. "Please... please don't let him take me away from Bloodshed again. I can't let him take Bloodshed away from me. I can't, I can't..."  
  
Shushing her, the older god looked back at the now more-lopsided fight. It had been in favor of his son's side when the God of Flora starting causing flowers and vines to come out from under the earth. It made it more difficult for the two to get to the ferret and soon the snakes in the trees were getting attacked by the plants as well. It wouldn't be that much longer until the ferret got to the jungle.  
  
But before the ferret could retreat into the jungle, a swarm of vines came toward Bombrush and Thornstriker. The mortal screamed in terror as Bombrush turned around to see what was going on. But he reacted too slowly, vines pushing him to the ground as more grabbed a hold of Thornstriker. She screamed in horror as she was suddenly dragged across the floor, struggling violently against the vines but to no avail.  
  
Bombrush screamed out to her, catching Bloodshed's attention as he watched in horror at his lover screaming and clawing into the ground, trying to break free of the vines that were pulling her toward the God of Flora, who had turned back into his human god form.  
  
No! No, he couldn't let her be taken away from him again! He would rather die than allow her to be taken from him again! She meant the world to him and he would be damned before he let this fucker take her away!  
  
He morphed into a normal god form, jumping over to Thornstriker and wrapping his arms tightly around her, ripping off the vines that had coiled around her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, still screaming and shrieking as more vines, despite Bloodshed ripping them off, came around her body.   
  
"Don't let him take me away, please!" she begged him, still holding onto him despite the tugging.  
  
Bloodshed could only try and rip off the vines that were now starting to yank at both of them, snarling and yelling as Landmine slowly approached them, glaring at the God of Wrath.  
  
"She's mine," he said harshly. "Now give her back."  
  
Thornstriker screamed as more vines crawled over her, trying to pull her out of her lover's grasp and into the hands of a madman.   
  
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Bloodshed snarled as he continued to fight off the vines. But much to his horror, the vines continued to tug and pull them apart, almost to the point where they couldn't touch each other anymore. His eyes widened in horror. "NO! THORNSTRIKER!"  
  
She screamed in terror as she was pulled away from him, tears pouring down her face as she tried to reach out to him. But she was only dragged toward the other god, making her scream even louder in terror.  
  
" _BLOODSHED!_ " she screamed. "PLEASE! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME AWAY!"  
  
Landmine crouched down, waiting for the vines to pull her toward him. Bloodshed just stared at the man in absolute fury, wanting to kill him. How dare he take her away! Thornstriker was his lover! He couldn't let this fucking freak take her away again! Not again!  
  
"She doesn't belong here," Landmine said, still looking at the shrieking mortal. "She's not safe here... Not from anyone. You're evil. All you do is kill people. And all people want to do to her is defile her. You're not worthy... You don't deserve her."  
  
Thornstriker threw back in head and wailed in agony as the vines brought her to him, the god stroking her cheek.  
  
Bloodshed stiffened in anger. "Don't you  _dare_  fucking touch her!"  
  
"She's mine...” he said, taking a hold of her. “She's always been mine. And I'm taking her far away from any of you. You all just want to hurt her... You don't understand just how beautiful she is. You don't know her like I do! You know nothing about her! I'm saving her! I'm doing what's right because I love-"  
  
In less than four seconds, the entire chaotic atmosphere of the battle that was Landmine holding Thornstriker, Bloodshed fighting back plant life while Nebula and Bombrush were pinned to by said plant life, turned into complete pandemonium when Bloodshed blew up Landmine's right arm.  
  
Right when he brought his hand to his heart to indicate that he loved the mortal, Bloodshed had released his power onto him. Whether on purpose or by uncontrolled anger, the arm that was placed in its path took the brute force of the attack. The elbow was the main focal point, the joint that connected the humerus and radius bones shattered into nothing. Blood did not come first, rather it was the arm and random scatterings of flesh and broken bone. But once the nerves had been blown away, flailing in the air along with the cracked radius, blood splattered outward like a bubble. It wasn't a lot, but it did spray Landmine's right face and all over Thornstriker's front due to how the god was holding her.  
  
In one second, the arm went flying.  
  
In two seconds, blood and flesh debris from the explosion had hit the two closest to it as the arm was just about to hit the ground  
  
In three seconds, the arm hit the ground and rolled into another sickening bounce. The two next to it realized something was on them while the others let the resonating sound of the explosion pass over them before looking at the cause of it.  
  
In four seconds, everyone knew what just happened. And all rationality and logical thought process went out the door.  
  
Landmine screamed, a horrible sound even more terrifying than the one Thornstriker had released earlier. Instinct caused him to let go of the mortal and to grab at the bleeding, shredded remains of his upper arm.  
  
Thornstriker went into shock by the blood and the bang of the explosion. One ear was blown out. But her initial instinct was to get away from the God of Flora worked with her fleeing the explosion instinct as she screamed and stumbled away from him, running to the first person she saw.  
  
Bloodshed was the one least surprised of them all, having used this enough times to have a better reaction time. He clawed out of the now unmoving plants to race towards his lover, who was now covered in blood and screaming Bloody Murder.  
  
Nebula and Bombrush were in shock at first, but their experience in battle helped them to snap out of it quick and to also escape. Nebula was unsure of what to do, unable to decide to go after the injured god or to the mortal girl to help her escape. Bombrush knew exactly what he was doing.  He had to stop the God of Flora before he lost it entirely from the shock.  
  
As Bloodshed held the frantic mortal to him, Bombrush ran to the God of Flora, tackling him and pinning him to the ground. Landmine was now crying, screaming in absolute pain as he was forced to the ground. Thornstriker was still in hysterics, shaking and crying against Bloodshed’s chest as she stared at the bloody arm on the ground. She couldn’t breathe. It was absolutely horrifying!   
  
Nebula came up beside the other god, trying to pry the screaming mortal out of his arms. Bloodshed was about to snap at her, but she glared at him and gestured to his father needing help with the frantic god. Reluctantly, he left the two women and ran to help his father, Nebula now trying to calm the other down.   
  
“Thornstriker, calm down,” she said sternly, though softly, stroking over her arm. She ripped a bit off her skirt and started wiping off the blood. “You’re okay. Stop screaming.”  
  
The mortal still cried out in fear, though her screams had died out as Nebula wiped the blood off of her. She collapsed to the ground, still trembling violently as Nebula came down next to her, trying to shush her but to no avail.   
  
“H-His arm…!” she squeaked out. “I-It came off…! Bl-Bloodshed, he…!”  
  
“I know,” the goddess murmured. “It’s okay. He did it to protect you. Okay? He did it to save you. So calm down, okay? Calm down.”  
  
She said nothing, still hyperventilating and shaking hard as the goddess held her, wiping away the rest of the blood on her body. No matter how much Nebula tried to calm her down, she could only see the arm vicious blowing off his body, blood pouring out onto her as Landmine screamed in agony.   
  
The Goddess of Temptation gasped as her friend’s lover fell back a bit, fainting from the traumatic experience. She kept her from hitting the ground, allowing her to fall into her chest.  
  
And just as she did, she heard another flight call, causing her and the other two gods to jerk up their heads to the sky. Novabomb, in his harpy eagle form, cawed to the skies with a light purple lovebird and a dark purple owl before there was resulting in the bushes. They looked over to see a dark gray panther, a white and red rabbit, a blue and red stag, and a red and gray wolf come out from the jungle and into the clearing.   
  
Finally. The Council had finally arrived. The fliers dropped to the ground as the ground animals came closer into the clearing. The men morphed into their normal god form, going toward Bombrush and Bloodshed to help with Landmine. As Cyclonus and Novabomb joined to help, Red Alert and Eclipse, now in their human forms, ran over to Nebula and the unconscious mortal.  
  
“What happened?” Red Alert demanded, kneeling down beside the other, eyes widening at the sight of the unconscious, bare chest mortal who had blood on her dress. In fact, much of the ground was covered in blood and the God of Flora was still crying out in pain…  
  
“She’s fine,” Nebula said, Eclipse taking her from her arms, removing her shawl to wrap it around Thornstriker. “She just fainted because…” Her eyes fell to the arm still on the grass, giving a shrug. “Bloodshed got pretty pissed.”   
  
The two other goddesses followed her gaze, freezing up at the sight of the disregarded arm. They looked at the screaming God of Flora before glancing over at Bloodshed, who was still holding down the frantic man, though his screams and struggles were weakening as Cyclonus forced him into a quiet state.  
  
Eclipse then removed herself from the violence, turning to look back at the unconscious girl. She stroked over her cheek before looking back up at the two other goddesses. “Tell Bloodshed I’m taking her to the Underworld. She’ll be safe there until we can figure out what to do with him.”  
  
Red Alert nodded, Nebula just turning away from her to help the other gods restrain and keep Landmine under control. The Goddess of Life got up to tell Bloodshed where his lover was being taken while Eclipse stood up, holding the petite mortal to her as she carried her away from the carnage.  
  
She couldn't help but to feel extreme relief. Thornstriker had been found. Thornstriker was safe. They had caught the god who had kidnapped her. The world would never fall to the hands of destruction.   
  
She couldn't be more relieved.


	6. Chapter 6

Thornstriker whimpered softly as she slowly came to it, eyes fluttering open as she slowly took in her surroundings. Oh no... Now, where was she? This place was dark, dismal looking. The walls were stone and the soft, large mattress she lied on had gray and purple sheets. She could only remember Bloodshed basically blowing off Landmine's arm... There was so much blood... All over her...  
  
She gasped, throwing off the covers to look down at herself. She was no longer covered in blood and her entire body had been washed. Not to mention she was wearing a dark red top crop and a black skirt that went down to her knees. Someone had changed her clothes... No... Had Landmine taken her back again?! Had he won and taken her far away again?! No! No, this couldn't be true! It just couldn't be!  
  
"You've finally awaken," a male voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts.   
  
Thornstriker jumped, jerking her head over to see a man... No, from his height, he was definitely a god... in gray hunting pants sitting on a lounge seat near the bed. He had a slightly built figure, a light-skinned muscularly lean man, from what Thornstriker could tell. He had bright red eyes, though he was missing the pupil entirely in his left eye, indicating his blindness. He had black hair that came down to his shoulders, the hair looking smooth and soft to the touch. He stared at her, giving her a blank look but never coming toward her.   
  
She paled at the sight of him, backing away from the other and pressing up against the bed's headboard, clawing her nails into it. Who was this man? A henchman of Landmine's? Or was he someone else? Someone even worse than Landmine? She shook at the thought.   
  
The man looked at her, eyes revealing nothing as he seemed to check over her. Thornstriker pressed up further into the headboard. But the man simply sighed and turned his head to an open doorway by the side. "Soundwave. She’s awakened."  
  
Thornstriker blinked. Soundwave...? Did he just say Soundwave?  
  
Carrying a small water bucket with a hand washcloth, a young woman walked into the room. The eyes widened at the sight of her. Though she had only met her a few times before, she knew who Soundwave was. The Goddess of Fertility and Childbirth. Bombrush's lover. She was gorgeous, level-headed, and motherly. She liked her. She trusted her.  
  
And she was here. That could only mean that Bombrush was nearby. And if Bombrush was near by... Bloodshed had to have been too.  
  
Soundwave looked over at the woman, rushing over to her side. She set down the bucket on the end table and sat down next to her, touching her cheek. "Thornstriker?" she said softly. "Are you all right?"  
  
She couldn't speak. She couldn't believe it. She was looking at Soundwave. She was looking at someone she knew. Thornstriker felt so overwhelmed with relief for a moment that she didn't know what else to do. She could only burst into tears, Soundwave's eyes widening as she immediately pulled the young woman into an embrace, trying to calm her down.  
  
"Thornstriker, it's all right. I'm here. You're safe."  
  
But she could only cry, too happy that she was no longer in the hands of the obsessive god. She was with people she knew. She was with someone who saw her as a person, not decoration. She may have not have known where she was, but she didn't care. She just knew she wasn't with Landmine and, to her, that was all that mattered.   
  
The god stood up before he addressed Soundwave. "Do you require any assistance?'  
  
The goddess shook her head as she began to rub the young woman's back.  
  
"Then I'll be taking my leave. I'll inform the others that she's awake. The meeting should be ending soon if I'm not mistaken."  
  
He began to walk to the other opening in the room they were in. Just as he was about to open the door...  
  
"Thank you for watching her, Shockwave."  
  
The now identified man turned to the woman as she looked at him with sincerity. He gripped the door handle before he pushed it down to unlock the door. "You're welcome." Then he looked to Thornstriker, who was peeking out of Soundwave's chest to look at him. He gave her a nod and said, "I'm glad to see that you're safe. Everyone was sincerely worried about you."  
  
Then he turned away, closing the door behind him and leaving the two women in the room alone.   
  
Soundwave turned back to the other, who was still sobbing a bit into her chest. She stroked over back, trying to calm her down. "It's all right, Thornstriker. You're safe now. No one will try to hurt you."  
  
She just nodded, still crying into the other. But while that went through her mind, another thought came to mind. She was fine, yes, but she didn't know about everyone else. Where were Bloodshed and the others? Were they okay? And what of Landmine? She knew he had been injured, but had he escaped? Or did Bloodshed kill him? Would he be punished for killing one their own?  
  
"B-Bloodshed..."  
  
"He's all right.  Don't worry, he's al-"  
  
"Bombrush. N-Novabomb. Nebula. Where are they?" She looked up, tears still forming in her eyes, as she grabbed the woman's hand. "Are they hurt? And what of...him? Is he dead? Is he still after me? What... Where?"  
  
The goddess patted her back to calm the now frantic girl. "Shh... Shh... It's all right, Thornstriker. Everyone's all right." Then she gave a soft sigh, gently seizing the sides of her face and stroking over her cheeks. "Landmine is alive, but he's locked away right now. Under the highest surveillance possible. He will not be coming near you."  
  
"B-But where is everyone-"  
  
"The Council is holding a meeting," she said softly. "They are... deciding the fates of him, Bloodshed... and possibly even you."  
  
Her eyes widened. She could understand why they would need to judge Landmine, but... Bloodshed and her? Why Bloodshed? He hadn't done anything wrong. He had saved her from that madman! And she wasn't even a god - why did they have to decide on what happens to her?!  
  
"I-I don't understand," she murmured. "Wh-Why him? Wh-Why me? I didn't-"  
  
Soundwave shushed her again, trying to keep her from crying. "You didn't do anything wrong. But they have to decide on your fate. You almost caused the end of the world."  
  
Thornstriker froze. The... end of the world? "W-Wh-What do you mean-? End of...?"  
  
"Everything. Humans. The gods. Everything." Soundwave could not lie to her about this. This was what The Council feared about this girl and they had to decide how to prevent something like this from happening again. Even if it meant getting rid of her and Bloodshed. "Bloodshed... loves you. Much more than I think anyone truly understands. He only wants to be with you and love you... And he can't lose you. You... You are the only thing in this world that truly matters to him."  
  
She held the young woman to her, holding her tightly. "Alpha Trion... The God of Fate and Time foresaw that if you remained unfound... Bloodshed would have killed everything just to find you. Just so you would be back with him. He loves you, Thornstriker... And The Council fears that because of that love, if anything goes wrong, Bloodshed will destroy this world. Everyone and everything... Except for you and him."  
  
Thornstriker just stared at her. Bloodshed... would have done something like that? "B-But what will they do to us-"  
  
"I don't know," she said, honestly. "The Council is discussing that now... From what I understand, many options have been suggested."  
  
"O-Options?" she repeated. "Wh-What kind of... options?"   
  
"I don't know," Soundwave murmured. And one could really only imagine as to what they were talking about. She could only pray it would turn out in Bloodshed's and Thornstriker's favor.

* * *

While the rest of the gods were in the main meeting hall, waiting for the Council's decision, the six members were in a back room, arguing with each other back and forth as to how to go about this issue. While they had all agreed to have Landmine executed, keeping his soul trapped down in the Underworld until he faded out of existence, they still had yet to reach a mutual agreement on what to do about Bloodshed and Thornstriker.   
  
Though nothing had actually happened, there was still that lingering fear. That fear of what could happen if something like this were to happen again. And what if they had never found the girl, allowing Bloodshed to carry out his wrath... Allowing him to destroy the entire world...  
  
"We cannot allow this to happen again," Alpha Trion said. "There is only one way to make sure that this doesn't happen. We have to be rid of them. Or at least Bloodshed as he is the one that we are most worried about. It is to prevent the end of the world."   
  
"We don't have to kill anyone," Optimus argued. "There are other ways to go about this."  
  
"Do you truly wish to find out what will happen if we don't terminate him?" the oldest god demanded. "We will all die if we wish to do nothing about this issue!"  
  
Megatron rolled his eyes. "Your age has made you more ignorant than it has made you wise. Have you forgotten that he has friends? Shall we really decide to execute him and have the God of the Jungle, the God of Chaos, and the Goddess of Temptation hate us and even turn against us?"  
  
"As if they cannot be dealt with," Cyclonus growled. "We can easily deal with them if they decide to rebel."  
  
"And at what cost?" Optimus questioned, folding his arms across his chest. "Do we really want to start a war among ourselves? We already have issues in dealing with each other on a civilized level and you wish to make it worse? We need to think about this in a way where no one will need to be killed."   
  
"Then what if we were to make Thornstriker immortal?" Red Alert added as she placed her entwined hands on the table they sat around. "She would not need to fear death and I doubt Megatron would dare try to end her life."  
  
"Unless someone gives me a reason as to why I should, then no, I won't."  
  
"That still does not protect her from someone taking her and locking her away like Landmine did," Cyclonus answered. "If we cannot prevent her from being put in harm's way, the mortal's immortality will mean nothing to us."  
  
"So killing them is the best option we have then?" Megatron demanded, clearly not impressed with what was on the table. "Hell, while we're at it, why not just kill Bombrush, Novabomb, and Nebula now? Save us the trouble from doing it later."  
  
Optimus shot a look at the God of Death. "We cannot risk a panic arising from the other gods. If we start killing too many of our kind off, the rest will begin to fear our power. They may see us as abusing our power and possibly try to overthrow us into complete chaos."  

"Then what other option is there?" The Goddess of Life asked.  
  
"If we cannot kill them," Cyclonus said. "Then the only reasonable option left is to ensure that Thornstriker's safety is not compromised again. I suggest she's either confined to the God of Wrath's side at all times or that she's kept in a secure location here in our realm."  
  
"We can't do that," Eclipse hissed. "Thornstriker has family and friends out in the mortal world. We can't just take her away from that! We exist to protect every individual in this world and give them the freedom they need in life. Because of this incident, we're just going to snatch her freedom away?!"  
  
“We have to think of the safety of others, Eclipse,” Alpha Trion reasoned, siding with Cyclonus. “While we may be confining her to his side, we are doing it to protect not only her, but everyone else as well.”  
  
“With Cyclonus’s suggestion, we wouldn’t have to worry about this happening again,” Optimus added, thinking that perhaps it was the best option for everyone. “No one would have to be killed.”   
  
“Shall I remind you all of something?” she said, now looking at all of them. “She has already been to one prison. She was taken – unwillingly – from her own home and forced to reside with some lunatic god. She was kept prisoner and now that she is finally free, you want to just put her into another prison?!”  
  
“It’s for her safety–”  
  
“Have you forgotten what Bombrush said to us?” she demanded, cutting off Optimus. “That was the same reason Landmine gave to Thornstriker. If we do the same thing and give her the same reason, even if our intentions are not the same, it makes us no better than him and what he did to her. We will be the ones keeping her prisoner. Is  _that_  what we want? To cage her up like a bird because of this incident? If that is the case, then I will very much refuse to help you enforce that ruling.”  
  
There was a silence among them, the gods looking at each other. They did not want to keep anyone prisoner, especially not Thornstriker after what she just went through. But none of them, including Eclipse, wanted something like this to happen again. What could they do to prevent something like this from happening again?  
  
Finally, Megatron huffed, shaking his head. “Alpha Trion, you can see all possibilities for the future.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Meaning that what you see… It isn’t the exact future. It’s simply something that could happen, correct?”  
  
The oldest god narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at?”  
  
“What you saw before we found her was just a possible prediction. It wasn’t the precise outcome. For all we know, the end of the world may have never have come in the time you predicted. It was simply a fearful possibility.”  
  
“But it didn’t mean that it would never happen.”   
  
“Yes, but it also means that it could have never have happened either.” Megatron rubbed his eyes. “I’m not denying that if something were to happen to Thornstriker, Bloodshed would do as your vision saw and end the world. But it was only a vision. He didn’t kill anyone.”  
  
“He almost killed Landmine,” Optimus pointed out.  
  
The God of Death laughed. “And the little freak didn’t deserve it? Besides, we’ve already decided to execute him. Bloodshed would have only made it quicker.” He gestured to Eclipse. “I’m going to side with Eclipse on this. There is no need for high security or keeping her trapped down in the spirit world.”  
  
“Then what?” Cyclonus demanded. “We just let them go off free? Allow Thornstriker to be put in harm’s way yet again?”  
  
“That was  _one_  god that showed everyone else a lesson. Everyone else knows not to even think of touching her, unless they wish for this to happen to them.”  
  
“What about the mortals?” Alpha Trion asked. “What’s to stop them from trying to hurt her? She is safer here in the spirit world than there. Famine, rape, war – mortal chaos.”  
  
“As if that never happens here.” Megatron looked at the God of Peace, giving him a mocking smirk. “Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of all that? Not doing a very good job, are you?”  
  
Optimus glared at him. “You know it is my belief that gods should not interfere with human ideology. We have before and the world almost went to hell.”   
  
“But there have been times where our interference has done good,” Eclipse pointed out.  
  
Red Alert interrupted them by holding up her hand, silencing everyone and steering the conversation back to the initial issue. “I personally don’t see a reason to restrict her or him on a supposed lockdown.”   
  
“And why do you say that?” Cyclonus demanded, raising an eyebrow.   
  
“Bloodshed was already protective over her to begin with,” she said. “After this incident, I believe that he will be even more so for probably the rest of his life. He doesn’t want this to happen again, even more so than we do.”  
  
Eclipse stared at her for a few moments before understanding it herself. She nodded in agreement. “True. I doubt he will leave her side after this. We don’t need to put her under heavy security if Bloodshed will always be with her to the point where I can imagine her getting irritated.”   
  
“So, that’s it then?” Alpha Trion said. “We simply allow them to do as they please and risk Bloodshed losing her again? Who is to say that nothing will happen again?”  
  
“No one is saying that,” Optimus said. “But we cannot take away her freedom in order to keep Bloodshed under control. We are supposed to be punishing Landmine, not them and especially not her.” But then he huffed. “However… I do think that whenever Bloodshed is needed to perform his civic duties as the God of Wrath, she should be brought down to the spirit realm and put in the care of a god available and one we can trust.”  
  
“So babysitting is what you’re getting at here,” Cyclonus said.  
  
“Yes. However, I believe that it is a compromise that everyone can accept and handle. Unless someone else as a more befitting solution to this.”   
  
The gods looked to each other before turning to the two most against the now more favored idea. Cyclonus gripped at his forehead, but eventually gave his nod to accept the compromise.  Alpha Trion closed his eyes, using his powers to see if this was indeed the best solution.  
  
As the others waited for the oldest god's decision, Eclipse held her breath. This was the closest they had gotten to agreeing on something, but if Alpha Trion still argued against it, Optimus and Cyclonus could possibly back out of this idea. Cyclonus respected the older god and Optimus was once an apprentice to God of Time.  
  
Finally, the old man opened his eyes and sighed. "I must concur with this strategy. I will go along with this plan for the God of Wrath and his mortal lover."


	7. Chapter 7

The hall had been called back into session again. The gods and goddesses lined up the walls of the hall as the Council took their seats.  
  
In the center stood Bloodshed and Thornstriker, the former holding the mortal up against his chest as she held onto him tightly, fearful as this stage was new to her. She had been in a few parts of the god realm, but it was restricted to the homes of Bloodshed's father and friends and maybe one or two small places. She had never been anywhere near the Underworld. Bombrush, Soundwave Nebula, and Novabomb were standing at the edges of the crowds in the hall nearest to the duo in the center.   
  
Novabomb leaned forward next to Bombrush's ear. "What do you think will happen?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Th-They're not going to... kill them, are they?"  
  
Bombrush said nothing, looking at the two standing in the middle of the circle. Thornstriker looked absolutely frightened, though Bloodshed was shushing her and comforting her, so she wasn't crying or trembling. The younger god seemed to be unafraid of what his fate may be as he just stared up at the Council, wearing a blank expression.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"But what if they-"  
  
" _I don't know_ ," he growled harshly, glaring at the Chaos God. He just wanted to find out what would become of his son. If they did decide to kill him... He didn't know what he would do.  
  
Novabomb flinched back at the older god's anger. Then he bit his bottom lip and turned back to the two in the center of the room, praying that whatever the Council had decided, it wouldn't be the end.   
  
As the room held its breath, Eclipse sat forward to address the room. "I don't need to remind everyone of why we're all here."  
  
No one dared to question her. They all knew what this meeting would decide on.  
  
"Over the past few days, our world and the human world were threatened with an untimely and horrific end due to the kidnapping of Thornstriker, the mortal lover of the God of Wrath, by Landmine, the God of Flora."  
  
Thornstriker blushed slightly at being addressed as Bloodshed's lover, but she didn't move to hide her face for she was too focused on the goddess.  
  
"But the Fates have been merciful to us for she was found and rescued soon after with few repercussions."  
  
Murmurs quietly went around the room. Thought the details of her rescue were only known to a few, Bloodshed's violent attack to Landmine's arm had gotten around.  
  
"But the problem we now face is one that we must address so that we may prevent it from happening again."  
  
She sat back as Red Alert took over. "The God of Flora has been treated for his wounds, but has been locked away ever since the rescue. Despite the efforts of myself, Optimus Prime, and Eclipse, he will not listen to reasoning. He doesn't believe he has done anything wrong and he has threatened, if he were to escape, to do whatever he could to make sure that, by his standards, Thornstriker is safe."  
  
The mortal pressed into her lover more, paling at the thought of being with that maniac again. Bloodshed just held onto her tighter, stroking over her back in order to calm her down.   
  
"After careful consideration, it has been decided that Landmine will be executed in the Underworld, trapping his soul here until he completely fades out of existence."   
  
Thornstriker's eyes widened as the room filled with murmurs and breaths of relief. Executed? They… were going to execute Landmine? He would never... be able to come near her again. He would never be able to take her away from her family, her friends, or her lover again. A wave of relief came over her at the news, burying her face into Bloodshed shoulder.   
  
Bloodshed felt a wave of relief of his own. Good - the Council had actually made an effective decision. He had been worried that they would just imprison him for life, making escape too likely to happen. Then he looked up at them and demanded, "When will the execution commence?"  
  
"Sometime today or tomorrow."  
  
"Who will be the executioner?"  
  
Megatron raised an eyebrow, a small smirk climbing onto his face. "That would be me... Why?"  
  
"With permission, I'd like to request that I be the one to do it."  
  
More hushed voices went around the room. Thornstriker looked up to her lover with shocked eyes.  
  
Optimus raised his out. "Bloodshed, we understand your feelings in the matter, but we cannot-"  
  
"I have no qualms with that."  
  
The others looked to the God of Death in shock. “Megatron, please be reasonable! He has good reasons, but we can't allow an executioner who has a personal grudge against the executed to throw down the ax!"  
  
"There is nothing saying that I can't allow someone else to perform the execution," Megatron interrupted Eclipse before she could continue. "And it is perhaps best that Bloodshed be the one to behead the condemned in this case."  
  
"What are you going on about now?" The God of Night stood up to challenge the God of Death.  
  
"The God of Flora was ordered, along with the rest of our kind, to do no harm to the mortal called Thornstriker. The warning was made clear, yet our soon-to-be former companion did not heed to it. He stole her from her house, her family, and her lover and tried to keep her to himself."  
  
Thornstriker gasped at the news. The Council had ordered the other gods to not harm her? She watched as Megatron stood up to address the room.  
  
"While I am certain no one else would dare to attempt what Landmine did to the young woman," he gestured to the couple in the middle of the room. "We must make a point. We must make an example of this god. It must be made clear that any ill will towards this woman could cause the destruction of us all by her lover, the God of Wrath."  
  
Thornstriker glanced up at Bloodshed, hoping that he would give some kind of indication that he knew of this order the Council gave to the others. But his face remained neutral, leaving her in the dark.   
  
"Therefore, by having Bloodshed be the executioner of the God of Flora, it will be known till the end of time the fate of those who dare try to cross the God of Wrath. You have all heard of the violent acts he's able to commit, but many of you have yet to see it. With this execution, everyone will understand just what to expect if  _any_  harm comes to Thornstriker... A death by him is much more brutal than a death by any of us."  
  
He sat back down, looking at the other gods. He gave a small, dark smirk. "Any questions?"   
  
"Are you out of your mind?" Eclipse demanded, standing up to glare at him.   
  
"No. What I'm doing will send a greater message. And you have no right to say what I can or cannot do in these executions. This is my home - you are in my domain. If Bloodshed wants to kill the god who tried to take his lover from him and I say it's fine, then it will be so."   
  
Eclipse's face burned red with anger, but she knew what he was saying was true. She had no right to try and control how he ran formal executions such as this one. But they were doing this out of justice, not Bloodshed's vengeance. Megatron failed to understand that, yet no one else said anything to rebuke his argument. She could only try to calm herself down, turning to look at the two down in the circle.  
  
"Fine," she said, looking to Bloodshed. "If the God of Death permits it... It shall be so." Then she relaxed a bit, coming to the other issue that still needed to be address. She looked over the rest of the room, now speaking to everyone. "Now... The other matter we have been discussing is... what to do about Bloodshed and his lover, so that a threat like this does not happen again."  
  
Bloodshed had been expecting this, so his expression remained unreadable. But he could feel Thornstriker stiffen in his grasp, pressing herself into his chest in fright. He could gave her a small squeeze, trying to keep her calm.   
  
"The problem we face is the safety of Thornstriker. We... already know what will become of Bloodshed should she be harmed."  
  
No one needed or wanted to be reminded of the God of Wrath's temper, especially when it came to the mortal.  
  
"But what we must also consider is the safety of everyone else, humanity and us included."  
  
Eclipse hesitated. She was not sure how the floor would react to the next part.  
  
Luckily for her, Cyclonus took over. "We have weight and reasoned over how important the lives of these two lovers are compared to the rest of the population. We have considered many options, even that of the execution of the pair to protect both worlds."  
  
The floor erupted into gasps, cries, and anger. Thornstriker buried herself into Bloodshed's chest, who was doing everything possible to not lash out at everyone. Bombrush's knees almost buckled for a second before he gained his balance while the two behind him were caught between getting ready for a fight and shock. Others in the crowd debated with each other over that radical course of action.  
  
Many found that executing the God of Wrath was a wise choice, though almost all of them didn't agree with the execution of an innocent mortal. Most were unsure, not choosing a side on that option. There were a few whispers here and there of what power and right the Council had to kill a god that had technically done nothing wrong.  
  
"Everyone! There will be order in this hall!" Optimus Prime's booming voice resonated throughout the hall, stopping all talk as their attention was drawn back to the Council.  
  
"While execution was put on the table," Cyclonus continued. "We have debated on non-lethal methods as well. It has also been suggested the confining of the mortal woman to our world and placed under heavy security and protection."  
  
Thornstriker's eyes widened. She would have to stay here in the spirit world forever? And be watched over like some helpless, prized infant? That... That was no different than what Landmine did. It wasn't! A part of her wanted to break down and cry. This never should have happened. Then she wouldn't have to be here!  
  
Red Alert then stood up, taking over for Cyclonus as he sat back down. "However, as Eclipse had said to us, that would make us no better than Landmine, as he done the same thing to her. And we have also thought about what Bloodshed himself will do after this." She looked down at the younger god. "We imagine you trying to be by her side at all times, whether she is in the mortal or spirit world, correct?"  
  
He only gave a nod.   
  
"And we know that Bloodshed is as strong as security can get," she said, now addressing the rest of the room again. "The only thing we worry about is what will be done when Bloodshed is away to perform his duties as the God of Wrath. He cannot take her with him."  
  
Alpha Trion then stood up as the goddess sat down. "The Council has decided this, to make things perfectly clear. No god or goddess will dare interfere with Thornstriker's life. Bloodshed will remain by her side at all costs unless he absolutely has to be away from her. Bloodshed is not allowed to leave her side - wherever she may go, Bloodshed must go as well. And when he must execute his duties as the God of Wrath, she will come down to the spirit world and put into the care of Bombrush or someone else that can be trusted."   
  
Bloodshed just stared at the Council, almost confused. They were... basically "forcing" him to stay by her side for all eternity. Was that supposed to be punishment? Then again, he would never be able to have time to himself and neither would she, which they, like everyone else, enjoyed from time to time. But, overall, he really didn't mind. He glanced down at Thornstriker, who looked a little bit less than pleased by the agreement. Not because she would have to be with him. He knew it had to do with being kept watched over.  
  
She hated it when people believed she was incapable of looking after herself. She had always said that she didn't need anyone to look after her as she wasn't a child. Of course she wasn't happy with this decision. Though, compared to the other options as to what to do with her, she preferred this one over the others. She wasn't about to say anything either. She was just a mortal and they were  _gods_. She refused to say anything.   
  
Before Alpha Trion could open his mouth, Eclipse looked at the two lovers and said, "Can you two live with this decision?"  
  
Bloodshed and Thornstriker looked at each other. It was certainly better than the other possible decisions. Though they would have to talk things over with each other, at least they were alive and not confined anywhere. They both looked at the goddess and nodded.   
  
Alpha Trion gave a soft huff. "The meeting is adjourned." 

* * *

Thornstriker had been brought back to the room where she had been before, Bloodshed holding her tightly to him as he ran his hands through her hair. Bombrush, Soundwave, Novabomb, and Nebula were also in the room, sitting around them so that they weren't being too crowding.  
  
Bombrush huffed. "I'm too old for this kind of thing, you know."  
  
Bloodshed glanced up at the other man before looking back down at his lover. "Sorry."  
  
"It wasn't your fault," he said. "I... I'm not made of steel. I'm like any other - I'm afraid of things too."   
  
Novabomb nodded. "We thought... that they would-"  
  
"I know," Bloodshed said, hugging Thornstriker a bit tighter. "I honestly thought they would too."   
  
Nebula let out a heavy huff, rubbing her temples. Though she had been worried too, she wasn't about to get all emotional over it. Hell, everyone had had enough of being on this emotional typhoon anyway. "Well, you're both fine now," she said flatly. "Forced to stay together for the rest of eternity, sure, but you're both alive."   
  
Everyone looked at her, though Bloodshed, Bombrush, and Novabomb glared while the two women just looked at her. She couldn't have been a little more sympathetic about this? They both, or at least Bloodshed, could have been ordered to be killed! And she was just treating it like nothing!  
  
"Do you  _really_  need to be such a bitch?" Novabomb snapped.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You guys are getting all tied up in a knot over something that didn't happen. Look!" She pointed to Thornstriker. "She's fine now. Safe and sound and away from that fucking freak. And look at Bloodshed - going to kill the guy that took his woman and completely alive and unharmed. I don't see why we need to be whiny and shit over this. Everyone's fine now."  
  
"It doesn't change how things weren't fine before," Bombrush growled.   
  
"Well,  _move on_."  
  
Thornstriker looked over at the goddess. She was being her rude and blunt self, basically calling it like she saw it. And Thornstriker... had missed that. She had missed that so much. She had only been kidnapped for three days, but... it had felt so much longer than that. It had like weeks... because she had been so afraid. Because the hours just dragged on and on as she was forced to remain in some giant glass dome, her only company some obsessive god...  
  
But it was okay now.   
  
She was home.   
  
Nebula huffed. "Well, now that you two are forced to be together forever, how are you doing to break it to her brother?"  
  
Thornstriker's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of that. She slowly looked up, flinching at the sight of the murderous scowl on the other's face. Oh no... They already hated each other to begin with and she knew Airstream and Warpath would both blame him for her disappearance, though it had been her own carelessness that got her kidnapped in the first place. But to know that Bloodshed had to be by her side all the time? Airstream would have a fit.   
  
"It's going to be ugly, huh?" Novabomb said, offering a smile.  
  
"You think?" Bloodshed growled. "He hates me enough as it is... And after this, he probably won't even believe me."  
  
"Perhaps I can join you when you both return," Soundwave said, who was standing next to her sitting lover, leaning on his arm. "He may listen if an outsider aware of the situation is able to explain it."  
  
"If that is the case, I'll go with you." Bombrush moved his hand to cover hers, bringing it up to his lips to kiss it. "Just in case he needs another god to confirm it."   
  
"Should we-?"  
  
"No." The other gods and goddess in the room shot down Novabomb's idea.  
  
"We're trying to convince the guy that everything's going to be alright, not turn it into some giant cluster-fuck," Nebula said, glaring at him. "Besides, he doesn't like even like you and me. At least he doesn't know who Bombrush and Soundwave are."  
  
"Especially Bombrush." Bloodshed moved a hand to cover his face and huffed. "Soundwave, can you promise me that he won't... do anything stupid while we're there?"  
  
She blinked. "Why would he?"  
  
"Her brother's married."   
  
"Just because it's a woman doesn't mean she's automatically my type."   
  
Blooodshed rolled his eyes. 

The woman shook her head slightly as she squeezed her lover's hand back. "I'll keep him in check."  
  
Bombrush only chuckled in response.  
  
Thornstriker let out a small chuckle as well. She remembered the first time she had met the god. He had been very  _friendly_  with her until Bloodshed had nearly threatened to kill him where he stood if he didn't leave her alone. Thornstriker had been able to calm him down though, considering he had been overreacting and Bombrush had meant no harm.  
  
"So..." she asked with a little more confidence than before. “We'll meet with my brother the day after the execution?"  
  
"That's the plan," Bombrush answered. "The execution will probably be later in the day and I doubt you want to reunite with your loved ones just after that. So we'll all be attending the execution tomorrow…"  
  
He paused to look up at his son. "And Bloodshed might have to be there a little earlier to prepare for his role. He'll probably need to stay afterwards too for a bit, so he can meet with us."  
  
Bombrush gave his son a hard look, almost scaring Thornstriker at the same time. "Bloodshed, I hope you understand what you'll be committing tomorrow. You'll be executing a god. Are you sure you'll keep your temper in check and not decide to make the poor thing suffer in its final moments of life?"  
  
That was the one thing that was on everyone's mind. Bloodshed would be the one to take the God of Flora's life, but once he took his place to take the god's life... There was no telling what would happen. Would he take the sword forged of Dark Energon and execute him? Or would he take it into his own hands? And blow him up like the hunters who murdered his mother?  
  
Bloodshed huffed. While though he wanted to do nothing more than blow the bastard's head off, he knew Thornstriker would be there to witness the execution. As afraid as she was of him, she wouldn't be an advocate for Landmine’s suffering. She was too kind that way. He would have to control himself. He knew this. He knew it well.  
  
"I... will be fine," he said finally, looking up at the other. He gripped Thornstriker a bit tighter, making her glance up at him in confusion.   
  
"Are you certain? I know your temper."   
  
"I'll be fine." But Bloodshed didn't say any more, which didn't reassure the older man. He wasn't about to push it more, though. He didn't want to anger him. Especially not after what he went through these past few days.  
  
He stood up along with Soundwave "I think it's best if we all get some rest. We've all had long days... Especially you two."  
  
Everyone gave a small nod, Nebula and Novabomb standing up as well. Novabomb gave a wave goodbye to them while Nebula gave a nod to them, walking out of the room. Bombrush looked down at his son and the mortal. "Good night you two. Sleep well."  
  
Then he and Soundwave walked out of the room. The two were left sitting there, Thornstriker in Bloodshed's lap and hold. Neither one moved at first.  
  
Finally feeling the tension, fear, and adrenaline from the past few days wear off, the young mortal only felt tired, leaning into Bloodshed's chest to rest.  
  
He didn't reject the motion, rather using it to wrap his arms further around her while he kissed her head. He lied back down on the bed, turning over so now that they were both lying on the sheets. He stroked her cheek, Thornstriker still awake to look at him.   
  
"I love you," he whispered softly. "And... I won't let anything happen to you. Never again... I'm sorry I-"  
  
She put a finger to his lips. "I love you too. Now please... Just hold me like this. I want to sleep beside you... please."   
  
Bloodshed looked over the girl, seeing the pleading expression on her face. He could only nod, not wanting to bring back any hateful memories for her. He was just beyond grateful and relieved that she was back at his side, that she was no longer missing. "Okay. I'm here. I promise."  
  
She gave a soft, tired smile, snuggling into his chest as his arms locked tightly around her. She smiled and closed her eyes, adoring the sound of Bloodshed's steady heartbeat. She missed this sound. Much more than anyone could ever imagine.


	8. Chapter 8

Bloodshed couldn’t stop shaking.   
  
It wasn’t in fear or anything of the sort.  
  
It was pure and uncontrollable anger and need.   
  
He could see Landmine from where he stood, waiting for Megatron to call him to the center of the circle. He was waiting behind the gate, alone and just standing there until he was summoned. The God of Flora was chained up and on his knees, shaking and begging to be let out. But the drums were beating hard and the other gods were cheering with glee. It had been a long time since a god had been executed among them. The adrenaline was rushing through all of them, including him.   
  
He glanced up, seeing Thornstriker sitting next to Soundwave and Bombrush. She wasn’t paying attention to the roaring cheers, just looking down into her lap. Soundwave rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her.   
  
She didn’t want to see this. Bloodshed knew she didn’t. She was a forgiving woman. She was too kind for her own good. Even if it was someone like Landmine, she didn’t want to see anyone die.  
  
And that made him all the angrier. His hands clenched around the sword in his hands, the sword that could kill anyone easily. But he didn’t want his death to be swift. He wanted the bastard to feel nothing but pure pain and absolute agony. Make him suffer what he made everyone else suffer!  
  
Bur he didn’t want to be a monster in front of Thornstriker. He had already blown off the god’s arm, which covered her in blood. He didn’t want to show her just how awful this could really be. That had just been an arm. A head was so much different than an arm…  
  
He didn’t think he could do this. He just wanted to murder this bastard. Making him scream like he never screamed before. He wanted everyone to know that if they ever dared to go near her, he would kill them without hesitation. But he knew he couldn't do that here, even though he wanted to so badly. Yet, he knew that if he abandoned the traditions of executions, the legality and fairness of it all, he could very well be imprisoned and punished himself.   
  
He heard a soft coo behind him. His stiffened at the sound, eyes widening as he looked over his shoulder. He nearly dropped the sword he was holding as he looked at the pink spirit, just staring at her with his mouth agape.   
  
"M-Mom?"  
  
Pixela's spirit floated over to him, holding a finger up to his lips. He was too frozen to react, even when he heard Optimus beginning to speak to the crowd. His mother... She was dead. He knew that a god's or goddess's soul roamed between the world unless trapped in the Underworld, but she had never shown herself to him before. She never came to him, which made him to believe that she no longer existed.  
  
So why was she here now?  
  
He found his voice again. "Mom, what-"  
  
She gave a soft coo, wrapping her transparent arms around him gently. Though she wasn't really there, he could feel her. She was hugging him, cooing him softly. She was trying to calm him down. She was trying to tell him that everything would be all right. He needed to remain calm. Everything would be fine.  
  
"Mom..." He let the sword fall to the ground, wrapping his arms around the spirit. She gently hummed to him, stroking over his back and head. He said nothing, just holding her to him as he tried to calm down. Though she couldn't speak or really touch him, her presence was more than enough to help him with this. He needed to keep calm about this. He needed to be level-headed.   
  
She pulled back from his embrace, giving a soft hum and pointed to the sword. He nodded, picking it up and brushing off any dust that may have gotten on it. She rested a hand over his heart, giving a soft hum.   
  
"I'm not a monster," he said, almost as if he were assuring her. "I'm not a monster."  
  
She just smiled and hummed, slowly turning away from him and floating into the darkness of the tunnel and fading to nothing.    
  
And just as she faded away, the gate opened, Megatron calling him into the room. Bloodshed took a deep breath at the better look at the crying and whimpering god in the middle, slowly walking toward the God of Flora.  
  
The cheering and screaming only got louder, but Bloodshed just toned it out. He could only see two other people and only focus on their reactions. Landmine and Thornstriker. Landmine was shaking like a pathetic child, crying uselessly and begging for mercy. It made him angry again, but he looked to Thornstriker for the patience he needed. Her solemn face, her gentle, remorseful eyes. She didn't want this to happen, but at the same time, she did. She feared Landmine, even if she didn't hate him. But the fear was there and the want to be rid of him was strong, even if it hurt her morals.  
  
He stepped right up next to the other, moving the sword over his neck. Landmine cried harder, the cheering grew louder, and Bloodshed just stared at the man below him. How he hated this god. He had tried to take his lover away. He had tried to say that he didn't deserve her, that he didn't understand her, that he just wanted to hurt her. This god was a fool.   
  
A hated fool that he believed that he understood. Though Landmine didn't love her like he did, he understood the desire to protect her. He knew what it felt like. To lock her up and away from everyone else's view. To keep her safe from everyone and everything that would try to do her harm. To never let her out, only leaving him to love her and cherish her the way she should have been.  
  
But they were still different. Landmine didn't understand why they couldn't do that. He didn't understand that they couldn't do that to the woman they loved. She was meant to be free, not caged up like some beautiful bird. Even though harm could come to her, they couldn't lock her up. She was a person, her own being. She was no one's possession. She was no one's rose.   
  
"Mercy...!" Landmine sobbed out, taking Bloodshed from his thoughts. "Mercy, please...! I was only trying to protect her...! I just loved her...! Please!"  
  
Bloodshed looked down at the other, his expression hardening. Mercy? He wanted mercy? His chances for mercy ended the minute he decided to stalk Thornstriker and take her things before taking her away from him. Besides, Bloodshed was not the God of Mercy. Far from it.  
  
He was the God of Wrath. And he would make damn sure the other would remember it until he faded into nothingness.   
  
"I know," he said softly, causing the other one to pause in his sobbing to look up at her. "I love her too..." He slowly raised up the sword, the screaming getting louder and the god paled in fright. "And I want to protect her too."  
  
"Please! J-Just let me go!"  
  
"Did you let her go when she begged you?" he demanded. He nudged his head over to where she sat. "Look at her. I want you to look into her eyes. Look at her and look at the fear you put into her. She is being made to watch something she wants to stop, but she won't... Because she's too afraid of you to beg for your life."  
  
Landmine looked up at the mortal, Thornstriker's eyes widening when their eyes met. She stiffened in fright, face tightening up in fear. And once again, the God of Flora couldn't understand why. He had just tried to protect her. Why was she so afraid of him? He had only loved her and he had only tried to protect her from those who hurt her. He didn't understand.  
  
Then he looked at the other. "But I just wanted to protect her... I loved her... Why is she so afraid of me?"  
  
"Because you're a monster."  
  
Then, with all of his might, he brought down the sword and it sliced through his neck, his body going limp as his head rolled a bit of way, his blood spilling on the ground with the crowd cheering with absolute glee. Except for Thornstriker, who could only focus on the executioner, huffing and puffing away as he looked at his victim, his face filled with fury, dismissing the chaotic sounds around him.   
  
Finally, Megatron stood up from his spot on the balcony, smirking down at everyone as he declared, “The God of Flora has been executed. We shall worry about his existence no more."

* * *

Thornstriker just lied on the bed, running her fingers over the sheets. It had been two hours since that execution, the image still playing in her mind over and over again. She had never witness an execution before, not even in her own village. She hated them. She hated death.  
  
The cheering for death was too much for her to comprehend. Why would anyone cheer for the death of someone else? Even if the one being executed is evil, there is not reason to cheer. It is a life that ends suddenly and brutally. She saw nothing to cheer about.  
  
She touched and rubbed her neck. The sword had sliced through his neck so easily, blood spraying everywhere. It was sickening and she wanted to look away. She just couldn’t though. She had to see him die.   
  
And Bloodshed… He looked so unsatisfied. Like the punishment Landmine received wasn’t enough. She knew he wanted to make him suffer, make him feel nothing but agony. He hated the deceased god. Because he had taken her away from him.  
  
The door opened, causing her to sit up and look over at the God of Wrath as he entered the room. She said nothing and neither did he, even when the door was shut. She looked away from him and out the window by her bedside, getting a view of the dark Underworld around her.   
  
She could feel the bed dip when he sat down beside her. She still didn’t turn to look at him, stilling gazing out the window. It was so dark outside, and yet, it was supposedly in the mid afternoon. A part of her wanted to cry, but she didn’t see a reason to. The man who died was… inhumane. He had tried to keep her locked up because he said he loved her and he wanted to protect her.   
  
But she never wished death upon anyone. She would never wish something so horrid.   
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
The mortal finally turned back to the other, staring at him with a blank expression. He looked tired, but concerned over her. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, looking away from him.  
  
“Are you okay?” he asked gently, stretching out a hand toward her and stroking her cheek.  
  
She leaned into the large hand, nodding. Bloodshed bit his bottom lip, not liking how quiet she was. This wasn’t how Thornstriker was like. Not to say she was a loud woman, but she certainly wasn’t quiet like this.    
  
He gently pushed her back down onto the sheets, causing Thornstriker to gasp a bit as her back hit the sheets. He rested his hands down on either side of her as she stared up at him, surprised at the serious and worried look on his face.   
  
“Blood-”  
  
“Are you okay?” he repeated. “I… I know how you feel about executions.”   
  
Thornstriker fell silent, looking off to the side to avoid his concerned gaze. She knew that the law was the law, especially the law of the Gods, and Landmine had to be executed for her kidnapping and for basically putting the world in danger by the man above her. But she didn’t want anyone to die. Worse, she didn’t want to feel relieved of anyone’s death.   
  
But with Landmine’s, she had. And it made her feel terrible to have relief as Bloodshed cut off his head. He would never try to take her away again and keep her locked up. But she didn’t want to feel relief from someone else’s death. No one deserved it. No one.   
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
She turned back to look at him, giving a soft huff. “I’m fine,” she said softly. “Really… It’s just… I don’t want to feel… happy.”  
  
He stroked her cheek. He was slightly irritated with her forgiving and kind nature toward someone who had tried to imprison her, but he said nothing of it.   
  
“You’re not that kind of person,” he murmured. “You… are merciful. Extremely merciful.” He moved his body from his sitting position and lied down next to her, stroking over her arm. “But… He deserved it. You know he did. It’s why you don’t want to feel happy.”  
  
She only gave a nod, looking away from him again. “I know.” She turned on her side, her back facing him. “Bloodshed… Do you think I’m strange?”  
  
He blinked. Where did that come from? “What do you mean?”  
  
“I mean… I was afraid of Landmine, but I didn’t want him to die, despite his crimes. Doesn’t that make me strange?”  
  
The god shook his head. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. Her eyes widened at the gesture, not expecting it. But she gave a soft breath, turning herself around so that she could face him, relaxing and even pressing back into the hold.   
  
“No, it doesn’t,” he murmured, stroking her cheek. “You have your morals… And they’re pure, merciful.” He kissed the back of her neck, causing the other to blush slightly. “They make you… Well, you.”  
  
She bit her bottom lip, curling up into his more. “Th-Thanks…”   
  
He nodded, kissing her forehead. "Besides... I think I'm a lot stranger than you."  
  
She raised an eyebrow, confused.  
  
"Thornstriker... Even though he's dead... And even though I know he can't hurt you again..." His grip around her tightened as he looked away from her, down at the sheets. "I couldn't get him to understand."  
  
"Understand what?"  
  
"What he did. Even after all this... his imprisonment, his impending execution, everything. Even after all this, he still didn't know what he had done wrong."  
  
Her hands curled up on his chest.  "He... He what?"  
  
"I asked him, before I..." He gulped, not wanting to mention the act directly in front of Thornstriker. "When he looked at you, when I asked him to... I wanted him to see the fear in your eyes. I wanted him to see how he had hurt you... how afraid of him you were. But he just looked back at me and... He didn't know why. After all of this... and he still couldn't understand what he had done wrong."  
  
Bloodshed pulled his lover closer. "That... god couldn't understand... He couldn't understand human emotions. And when I realized he couldn't, I was so angry that I brought down the sword out of a rage. I was pissed... that bastard still thought he was doing the right thing. That he was the good guy. I just... wanted him to acknowledge that he had done something wrong. It almost feels like... he still won in the end, dying still believing he was right."  
  
Thornstriker said nothing to that. Now she understood why Landmine had looked at her before he died. Because Bloodshed wanted him to see the truth behind his actions, the consequences of his crimes.   
  
But Landmine was not human. He didn't understand anything about emotions. He didn't understand fear, anger, sadness. He just knew what they were. But he couldn't comprehend them and he didn't try to. He made himself out to be the hero, in a sense. Everyone else was a devil, a villain. It was the illusion he had created for himself and the illusion that he had died with.   
  
The mortal reached up and stroked his cheek. He blinked and looked down at her, surprised by the gesture. But Thornstriker only said, "I wish he would have understood too, Bloodshed. Then he never would have stalked me or took my things or kidnapped me... And none of this would have happened."   
  
"But... I couldn't stand him not knowing just how much you were afraid of him... That he had no idea that he had frightened you, had hurt you..."  
  
"Shh," she whispered softly, pressing a finger to his lips. "I know, Bloodshed... I know." She pressed into his chest, burying her face into it. "But you... you saved me. You... You did what needed to be done. And for that, I'm forever grateful... Really." She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him, cheeks reddening a bit as she leaned up, planting a soft kiss to his lips. "Thank you."  
  
It took a second for the god to react, leaning down to kiss her in response. Their soft and gentle kiss lasted a minute before he pulled back.  "For you... anything. I would do anything to make sure you were happy and safe."  
  
She leaned into his hand when it came up to caress her face. "I know." She returned the gesture with her own hand. "I know."  
  
Bloodshed closed his eyes to revel in her soft touch. As much as he wanted to take this further, he knew he couldn't do that tonight. "We should go to sleep soon. We're going back home tomorrow."  
  
Thornstriker nodded. She didn't want to be tired when she saw her brother tomorrow. It would make it harder to convince him to accept the new living conditions they would have to live with. And she didn't want a cranky Bloodshed to argue with him then.  
  
She pulled her hand away from him, pressing into his chest as she murmured, "Good night, Bloodshed."  
  
He kissed the top of her head, keeping her pressed up against his chest. She soon fell asleep, which only made Bloodshed hold onto her tighter.   
  
Never again.   
  
He would never let anything take her away from him again.

* * *

Wheeljack was inside the hut, sitting on a small mat by the fire. She was absent-mindedly braiding and unbraiding her hair while Airstream was carving a spear. Warpath was there next to him, simply sitting there and keeping him company.  
  
It had been almost a week since Thornstriker disappeared. Though Airstream had said that the gods had promised to keep them updated on the search for his sister, no one had come since the Goddess of Day's visit. Not even Bloodshed's friends came to say anything. It was incredibly disheartening, making everyone believes the worst.   
  
The village had given up on their searching on the third day, believing her to be dead or to never be found again. Airstream could only mourn, as he had been forbidden to go out looking for her, considering his still injured ankle. Warpath wasn't like himself anymore, becoming reclusive and standoffish to everyone. Wheeljack just looked so upset and she hardly spoke, unless spoken to.  
  
Airstream feared the worst out of this though. The Goddess of Day told him what would happen if Thornstriker remained missing. For all he knew, the next time Bloodshed would appear before them, it would be to murder them all.  
  
He immediately looked to his wife, as if making sure she was all right. And she was, simply playing with her hair as her way to distract herself from her worries. He wanted to tell her that everything would be all right, but it was an obvious lie and he couldn't even pretend to believe it himself.   
  
They didn't know what to do. They knew that looking for her at this point would be fruitless on their part and praying could only do so much. If Thornstriker were to never return, it would kill them, if Bloodshed didn't do it first in his wrathful mourning.  
  
Airstream huffed and put down the spear. “Wheeljack,” he said, causing the younger woman to look up at him. “Come here.”   
  
The woman nodded, moving from her spot to walk over to the other. She gasped when he suddenly pulled her down into his lap. “A-Airstream?”  
  
But he just kept his face buried into her neck, holding her to him tightly. Damn it, he had already lost Thornstriker. If Bloodshed went and did what the Goddess of Day said he would do… No, not Wheeljack. He couldn’t lose her too.  
  
Wheeljack glanced at the other man, who just continued to rub Airstream’s shoulder. He shrugged at her, not knowing what to do either but try and comfort the older man as best as he could. She nodded, biting her bottom lip as she looked down at her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck.   
  
“It’s all right, Airstream,” she murmured softly. “They’ll find her. Blood–”  
  
“Don’t you dare say his name in front of me,” the other growled. “It’s because of  _him_  that she was taken from us… He should have protected her… The one thing I thought I could trust with him–”  
  
“Shh… Shh,” his wife murmured. “I know, I know you’re upset… It’s all right.” She knew that his name would set him – and Warpath, who had stiffened at the sound of the God of Wrath’s name – on the edge, but it was the truth. He would be looking everywhere for her. High and low, left and right, mortal world and spirit world – Bloodshed would be looking everywhere for her. And eventually, she would be found.   
  
It may have been wishful or hopeful thinking, but hope was something Wheeljack wanted to have about this. She refused to think that everyone was over and done with. Bloodshed would never allow that to happen to her. Never.   
  
Warpath took his hand from his friend’s shoulder, rubbing his eyes. It was getting late. As much as he wanted to stay with them and comfort them, he knew he had to get back to his hut himself.   
  
Just as he rose to his feet, there was a knock at the door. As Warpath was already up on his feet, he huffed and went over to answer.  
  
He blinked when he saw a rather gorgeous raven-haired woman standing before him. He looked over her for a moment, knowing that she wasn’t from the village. He would have recognized a woman such as this if she lived in their village.   
  
“Hello,” she said. “Are Airstream and Wheeljack home?”  
  
“Hi… And they are… Who are you?”  
  
“My name is Soundwave,” she answered as the other continued to eye her suspiciously. “I’m not here with malicious intent, sir.”   
  
“Then why are you here?”  
  
She remained silent at first, peering behind the other to see the married couple now stand up and come toward the door. Then, she looked over her shoulder as she moved out of the way, the three of them looking up as well.  
  
And the freezing at the sight.   
  
Slowly walking toward the hut, wearing a light green strapless dress that came down to just above her knees, was Thornstriker. She bit her bottom lip as she moved toward them, trembling slightly. Was that really her? Or had they all lost their minds?   
  
Wheeljack moved first, nudging herself between and then in front of the two men. "Thorn... Thornstriker?"   
  
Thornstriker just looked up to her, stopping for a moment. It was... Wheeljack. And behind her was her best friend and her brother, just staring at her with wide eyes. For a moment, she couldn't believe it either.  
  
"Thornstriker?"  
  
But then she looked up when the woman called out to her again, which made tears form at the corners of her eyes. She then started to cry, but ran toward the woman, throwing her arms around the other, practically wailing into her shoulder. She was safe. She was home.   
  
Wheeljack almost thought she would have fallen over when the other jumped into her embrace. But the feeling of the young woman, her tears wetting her shoulder. It was Thornstriker. She was really here. She was alive and home.  
  
As the older woman started to break down, her husband and the younger man moved forward to join them. Warpath had to help his friend up because with his body about to give at the relief of seeing his sister alive and everything else that was going on, poor Airstream could barely make it to his sister and wife before he broke down.  
  
Airstream pulled Thornstriker away from his wife, all three of them falling to their knees as Warpath steadied them, falling down with them too. Airstream kissed Thornstriker's face over and over again, whispering out her name in complete disbelief. She just whimpered and cried, holding her brother tightly.   
  
She felt hands on her shoulders, making her look over at Warpath. While he wasn’t crying hard like the others, tears still rolled down his face. She pulled from her brother to hug the big man, crying hard into his shoulder as he held her tightly.   
  
Thornstriker was home. She had come home.


	9. Chapter 9

 

 

 

They were all inside the hut again, Thornstriker sitting in between Warpath and Airstream with Wheeljack sitting at her husband’s right. Airstream’s arm was wrapped around his sister, holding her against his side. She leaned into him, keeping her head against his shoulder.  
  
And across from the four of them was Soundwave, who sat there with her hands folded on top of her lap as she sat crisscross on the matt. Wheeljack had given her some tea when she came inside, the woman sipping it in silence.   
  
“Um… Miss Soundwave?”  
  
The woman looked over at Wheeljack. “Yes?”  
  
“How… how did you find Thornstriker?”  
  
“I didn’t,” she said, putting down her cup. “My lover was there and he helped in her rescue.”  
  
“Your… lover?” So mortals had saved her? Airstream and Warpath glanced at each other. Did that mean the gods were still searching for her?  
  
“Yes. Bombrush was a part of Bloodshed’s search group. They had been able to locate her and, with the help of the Council, apprehend her kidnapper, Landmine.”  
  
Airstream’s eyes widened. “Bombrush… The God of the Jungle?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Warpath, Airstream, and Wheeljack all looked at each other with wide eyes. This mortal woman was the bride of a god? And not just any god, but Bombrush, the God of the Jungle and the father of Bloodshed?   
  
Airstream’s expression hardened a little, holding Thornstriker closer to him. “What business do you have here?”  
  
Soundwave looked up at him. “You wish for me to get to the point, I see.”  
  
He nodded.  
  
“Airstream, don’t be rude,” Wheeljack growled. “She just–”  
  
But the raven-haired woman held up her hand to the other, shaking her head. “It’s understandable as to why he would react negatively, Miss Wheeljack. He has his right to, especially after what happened to Thornstriker.” She gestured to the petite woman, who just looked at her feet.   
  
Soundwave sighed. “You will all be pleased to know that Landmine, the god who kidnapped your sister, was formally executed by Bloodshed yesterday afternoon. He cannot harm or come near Thornstriker again.”   
  
A collective sigh of relief came from the three of them. Airstream seemed to relax more at the news, looking over at the brunette and kissing her forehead.   
  
"Also, aside from Landmine's fate, there was discussion as to what to do with Bloodshed and Thornstriker." She looked to Airstream, whose eyes had widened at the statement. "As I believe you were informed, Thornstriker... keeps Bloodshed in control of his wrath. Her disappearance affected him greatly and if she hadn't been found... You know of the possible consequences."  
  
He nodded, keeping her close to him as well as reaching over and holding Wheeljack's hand. "I do. But why would the Council need to discuss as to what to do with them?"  
  
"Well..." the woman started before she paused. She would have to be careful as to how she told them this next part. “The Council... wants to prevent something like this from happening again. Because of Thornstriker's kidnapping, Bloodshed was about ready to unleash his wrath upon all of us to find her. The Council went through many possible options of what fate would become of your sister and her lover."  
  
Neither Warpath nor Airstream liked where this seemed to be heading. The largest man in the room frowned and glared at the woman, folding his arms across his chest. "And I'm assuming they reached a conclusion."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And what would that be?" Airstream demanded.   
  
She was quiet for a moment, trying to think of how to word this. While she wanted to be careful with the matter, she didn't want to beat around the bush. This had to be said to them, considering it was now basically a law of the gods.  
  
"For Thornstriker's safety, which ensures the safety of everyone and everything else, the Council has made it so that Bloodshed is required to stay by her side at all time. Wherever she goes, he follows and vice versa. And when Bloodshed must go perform his duties as the God of Wrath elsewhere, Thornstriker will be taken down to the spirit world to be under the care and protection of the God of the Jungle, Bombrush."    
  
Though Warpath was stunned for a few good moments, Airstream's reaction was immediate.  
  
He stood up, glaring murderously at the raven-haired woman on the floor. She did not move and only stared at him with a blank expression. The man was fuming, face red with anger and body still with rage.   
  
"Are you fucking joking?!" he snarled.  
  
Thornstriker said nothing and looked down at her feet, hugging herself tightly. She knew he would react this way. She just knew it.  
  
Wheeljack stood up as well, reaching out to calm down her husband. "Airstream, please, this isn't-"  
  
He yanked his arm free of her touch. "Don't touch me!" Then he turned back to the woman on the floor and growled, "She is to remain with that  _bastard_  for the rest of her life?!  _That_  was the best solution they could come up with?!"  
  
Soundwave sighed, rising to her feet. "It is what they felt was best for everyone."  
  
Warpath had finally snapped out of it, his expression hardening. He stood up too and shook his head. "The best option for everyone would be for that fucker to be executed like the God of Flora! He  _failed_  to protect her!"  
  
"Th-That isn't true!" Thornstriker squeaked, standing up and making everyone look at her. "H-He saved me! Bloodshed was the one who saved me!"  
  
"And he was also the one who allowed you to get kidnapped!" Airstream barked, glaring at her. "You can't seriously say you're happy with this decision, Thornstriker! Please, tell me you're not!"  
  
"Airstream, leave her alone!" Wheeljack shouted, making him look at her. "She just returned home! The last thing she needs is you yelling at her!"  
  
"Oh,  _shut up!_ " he snarled. "She shouldn't be forced to be near him after this! He should be kept as far away from her as possible! How could the Council come up with a decision like this?!"  
  
As everyone in the room continued to argue, they failed to notice the large, slithering figure come through the back window and toward the five humans. He watched in mild amusement as they all seemed to argue, though Thornstriker seemed to be on the verge of tears and the two men looked ready to kill someone. Soundwave was trying to calm everyone down, especially Thornstriker as she moved over to her, trying to soothe her tears. The other woman, Wheeljack he assumed, was still arguing with the two men, looking absolutely furious.  
  
He huffed to himself. Before a war broke out, he knew it was best to do something now.   
  
He slowly made his way over to the arguing couple, no one noticing him yet. They were so wrapped up in their own fighting that they really didn't notice a twenty-five foot long anaconda on their floor? They seriously needed to be more aware of their surroundings.  
  
He moved over to the woman's, slowly coiling his body around her leg. She froze in mid argument, jerking her head down to see the anaconda perk his head up and making everyone look down at him.  
  
He chuckled once. "I see a snake can get everyone to calm down for a moment." His tail moved up the woman's leg a bit, feeling her tense. "Now, should we all take a seat?"    
  
Before anyone could make sense of what was happening, Wheeljack gave a violent reaction. She screamed in absolute terror, jerking away from the snake as she tried to push it off her leg. Bombrush was startled by this, immediately letting go, though the woman almost fell over because of it. Airstream quickly caught her and pulled her into his chest, Warpath grabbing a hold of his hunting knife to try and stab the snake with it.  
  
"Wait, Warpath, don't!" Thornstriker cried. She rushed over to him and grabbed his arm, holding him back. "That's Bombrush! You can't hurt him! Please!"   
  
The anaconda moved back a bit, eyes wide with both shock and slight amusement at the sudden turn of violence. He glanced over at Soundwave, who just looked at him with a pathetic and unsympathetic expression. He laughed to himself, figuring that would be her reaction.    
  
He slowly morphed into his mortal 6’5 form, holding up his hands as he rose to his feet. “I apologize – I didn’t mean to startle any of you.” He bowed his head to the blonde woman, who just stared at him with wide and confused eyes as she pressed into her husband’s chest. “I hope I didn’t frighten you too terribly.”   
  
She said nothing, just watching him carefully.   
  
Airstream glared at the god, pulling his wife behind him. “What purpose do you have coming here?”   
  
“To defend my son and the Council’s position,” he said, stepping over to Soundwave. He rested his hands on her shoulders, rubbing over them. “We figured it would be best if she at least explained the general situation to you.”  
  
“‘We?’” Airstream repeated.  
  
“Yes. Myself, Soundwave, Thornstriker, and Bloodshed.”   
  
Warpath’s expression hardened. “And where is he?”  
  
Bombrush said nothing for a moment, glancing at the door to the hut. Everyone looked over as well, especially when they heard a knock on the door. Thornstriker swallowed, but slowly stepped away from Warpath and over to the door. She opened it, biting her bottom lip at the guest before looking back over at her brother.  
  
He was glaring, but he gave her a nod.   
  
She nodded timidly back, slowly opening the door and allowing the God of Wrath to step into the house. She took him by the hand, even when the two mortal men glared murderously at the god in his 6’5 moral form.   
  
“You have some fucking nerve showing up here,” Warpath growled.   
  
Bloodshed remained silent, glaring over at the man he still considered to be his rival.   
  
Bombrush cleared his throat, drawing the attention toward him. “As I’m sure we would all love to claw each other’s throats out, I think it would be best if we all sat down and spoke about this calmly. I’m sure everyone has their questions and doubts, yes?”   
  
It took everyone a moment as they exchanged glances with each other, but eventually they moved into seating positions. Wheeljack sat in between her husband and Warpath on the opposite side of the other four, Thornstriker sitting next to Bloodshed with Bombrush on Bloodshed’s right, Soundwave on Bombrush's left.  
  
Bombrush huffed, looking at the two men glaring at his son. "While I understand that you two are not fond of this decision, there wasn't really any other option we could go with."  
  
Airstream's glare moved to the older god. "I can think of one that removes him from her life completely."  
  
" _Airstream_!" Wheeljack hissed out through gritted teeth, gripping his arm tightly. "Stop it, now!"  
  
He didn't even look at his wife as he pointed to the God of Wrath, growling out, "It was his fucking fault this happened in the first place! He was supposed to protect! He had promised he would and, like a damn fool, I  _trusted_  him to do so! And he  _failed_  at it!"  
  
"And what would your suggestion be then?" Bombrush said calmly, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"He should be dead!" he shouted, his answer causing Thornstriker's eyes to widen in horror as she pressed into Bloodshed's side. "He shouldn't even exist! He's not only a failure as her lover, but he's fucking dangerous! He's your son - you should understand that better than anyone!"   
  
Bombrush's expression darkened a bit as he glared at the mortal. Soundwave tensed a bit when the hand on hers tensed, causing her to look back at the Jungle God with wide and concerned eyes. She knew better than anyone how much he loathed it when people talked negatively about his son.   
  
"He could kill you," Bombrush said. "If he's so damn dangerous, then why hasn't he?"  
  
Airstream rolled his eyes. "And if he did that, I wouldn't have to worry about trying to convince Thornstriker to stay away from him. If he did that, she would run from him and hate him on her own accord."   
  
"You're testing my patience, human," he growled. "I only have so much tolerance in regards to the shit you're saying."  
  
"What are you going to do? Kill me? Go ahead - I would love to see the result while I roam in the afterlife."  
  
Soundwave bit back a cry of pain when the grip on her hand became painfully tight. She looked back at her lover, resting one of her hands on his own, stroking over it in hopes for him to calm down. Or at least not hold her so tightly. Bombrush looked up at her, seeing her expression carry slight pain. He then seemed to register his tight grip, making him huff and let go of her hand, now stroking over it in a comforting manner.  
  
He huffed, trying to contain himself. "I did not come here to bicker with you."  
  
"Then why did you come?"  
  
"As I said before - To defend my son and the Council’s position." He glanced over at his son and his lover, Thornstriker still pressing into his side while Bloodshed just looked at his feet.   
  
"What... exactly happened?" Wheeljack said, everyone now looking at the blonde. "I... We were informed that Landmine, the God of Flora did this, but... why? Who... was he?"  
  
Bombrush relaxed a bit more at the sound of the other female's voice. She seemed like a good woman and, from the looks of things, she seemed to be more interested in knowing what exactly had happened rather than trying to separate Bloodshed and Thornstriker. Actually, she didn't even seem to want to do that, unlike her husband and his friend.   
  
"It appears that Landmine had been... following her for quite some time now." He looked to Thornstriker. "How long was it, Thornstriker? Since you were...?"  
  
"A-About th-three years ago..." she murmured softly.  
  
"Yes." He turned back to the three across from him. "And he started to steal her things when she was around tw-two years ago. He had a very... unhealthy obsession with her. He even believed that he loved her and thought that keeping her locked up was the best thing for her."  
  
Warpath frowned at that last statement. "He... He 'believed' he loved her? How-"  
  
Bombrush shook his head. "He had been watching her for so long that he believed that he knew her. He believed that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on and that she was something close to a rose, something that is a representation of love. In that... He believed his obsession with her was love. Because she was beautiful and nothing like anything he had ever seen."   
  
Thornstriker could only shut her eyes at the words, wanting to forget about what he had said to her. She was pretty. She smelled nice. She was like a rose. Damn it, she could still feel his eyes watching her intently, his nervous hands trying to hold her... It was terrifying.   
  
Wheeljack noticed the smaller female shivering. She didn't know what, but she could see that this Landmine had done something to Thornstriker in the time he had her to have this effect. She only hoped that it wasn't something too horrible.  
  
"So..." She needed to get away from this topic fast, but she – they still needed answers. "He took her because he wanted what was best for her?"  
  
Bombrush exhaled a deep breath. "Well, not exactly."  
  
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Airstream asked, voice showing his frustration with the whole situation.  
  
"He..." Thornstriker finally spoke up, causing everyone to turn to her. "He... Well, I really... I heard him in our house that night. I... went to check it out. I didn't want to wake up anyone, I know that was foolish, and that's when I surprised him and... you know the rest."  
  
Airstream's eyes widened in shock and in anger. "You didn't wake anyone up when you thought someone was in the house?"  
  
"I... I didn't want it to turn out to be nothing and have it be so that I disturbed your sleep for no reason..."   
  
"You could have been killed!" he snarled, causing the woman to flinch back. "Thornstriker, what if that god had been a sadistic one?! He could have killed you for his own sick pleasure!"  
  
"I-I'm sorry..."  
  
But Airstream just shook his head. Damn it, this could have been prevented. This never should have happened for a number of reasons. He rubbed his eyes, clearly frustrated with everything and not knowing what to say or do.   
  
Wheeljack rested a hand on her husband's shoulder, turning to the younger woman. "It's all right, Thornstriker. You don't need to apologize." Then she sighed, now rubbing Airstream's arm. "Could you tell us... what happened with him?"  
  
She opened her mouth, but her throat closed up in fear. She didn't want to remember. She didn't want to say anything. It was horrific enough just living through it. That monster... who never understood human emotions... He had tried to cage her. He had been obsessed. He was insane. He may have been dead now, but her memory wasn't. She remembered everything, vividly, clearly. And she hated it.   
  
"Thornstriker?"  
  
She still remained silent, shutting her eyes tightly as she buried her face into her lover's side. Bloodshed looked down at her, gently wrapping an arm around her and running his hand through her hair in an effort to calm her down.   
  
"Please, Thornstriker," Wheeljack cooed softly. "We just want to know what happened. I... I know it's hard, but... please?"  
  
The brunette bit her bottom lip, opening her eyes and peeking out over at the worried woman's face. She knew she had to give them an answer, but it was so hard... Just remembering it made her want to scream. But she knew she was safe now. Landmine couldn't hurt her again. He would never be able to hurt her again.  
  
"I... He..." She swallowed, starting over. "He... He wasn't... human."    
  
Warpath blinked, confused like the rest of them. "What do you mean?" he asked her gently.   
  
"He... He just... wasn't human...he didn't do anything bad to me. He just... he didn't seem to understand... anything."  
  
She saw the confused looks on their faces. "When I was there... he was... strange. He was... scared to touch me... he seemed more afraid of harming me than anything. And then when I tried to reason with him... about letting me go, about letting me see you... he didn't seem to understand that I didn't want to be there. He treated me more like... a pet or a decoration, I don't know quite how to describe it."  
  
The humans looked on in befuddlement, silence filling the room for a few moments.   
  
Warpath broke the silence again. "He... just wanted to keep you there?"  
  
"It's hard to explain." She looked to him before looking at her brother and his wife. "No matter how much I pleaded, he couldn't be reasoned with. And when I... I almost lost it, stopped eating and stopped caring... he tried to do everything possible to make me happy. Everything other than letting me go. He... he even let me see you all."  
  
That caught everyone's attention. "Wait," Bombrush interjected. "You  _saw_  us?"  
  
"He had this pool of water that allowed me to see you all. I wanted to see you and he let me, but he wouldn't let me go to you, talk to you..." She remembered reaching out in desperation for Bloodshed as he cried out her name. "Or even touch you."  
  
Airstream swallowed back something, he wasn't sure if it was horror or disgust from what this...  _god_  forced her to suffer through. "How...?"  
  
"How were you able to escape?" Wheeljack finished her husband's sentence, putting her hand on his back to soothe him.  
  
"I... I don't even really know either..."  
  
"Try," Bombrush said softly. He, Bloodshed, and Soundwave were just as curious as to how she got out of his home as well. They only knew that she had been outside when they found her. They didn't know how she got there and everyone was more than eager to know.   
  
"When... When he left me alone by the pool... There... was this... spirit that came out of it."  
  
Soundwave's eyes widened at that. "A spirit?"  
  
Thornstriker nodded. "She... The spirit was this transparent... magenta woman... I-I thought she was maybe a previous victim of his, but I don't know. She didn't talk... And... And she pulled me through the water... and when I came to the surface, I was... outside." She wasn't about to say  _exactly_  where the spirit had taken her to outside Landmine's home. No one really needed to know about that place and its significance to her and Bloodshed. "Af-After that... She disappeared... So I ran in hopes to find... anyone."   
  
Bombrush and Soundwave glanced at each other for a moment before looking over at Bloodshed, who just stared down at her with wide eyes. So, he knew what, or rather who, this spirit was.   
  
That woman always did have a way with helping others when they really needed it...  
  
"And... eventually Bloodshed found you," Wheeljack said, though it was more of a statement than a question.  
  
Thornstriker nodded. "B-But Landmine... He found me first." She looked up at her lover, resting a hand on his arm. "Bloodshed... and everyone else... saved me."  
  
"Which leads to the Council's decision..." Warpath murmured darkly, now looking back over at the older god. "You said you would defend it?"  
  
Bombrush slowly looked at the young mortal man, also seeing Airstream turn to glare at him. He huffed and nodded. "Yes. Considering the other options were horrific, the one they had settled one was the best."   
  
"Bullshit."  
  
Bombrush looked to Airstream, who looked ready to go from glaring to seething.  
  
"There is no way that Thornstriker staying with...  _him_  for all eternity was the better option. What were the other options?"  
  
The older god sighed. He wanted to be angry with the man, but he knew that telling him the other options would run the poor mortal's blood ice cold.  On the inside, he was sadistically smug with seeing how the man would react to the other fates that could have befallen onto his sister.  
  
"One of the options was to execute both Bloodshed and Thornstriker to reassure that such an incident would not happen again."  
  
All three humans tensed at the very idea. While Wheeljack had been mortified with the entire thing, Airstream and Warpath were horrified by the fact that she would have been punished as well.   
  
"The other option given was confining Thornstriker to the spirit world, placing her under heavy security and protection."   
  
Bombrush could only inwardly smirk at the terrified and pale face of the woman's brother, who looked like he wanted to vomit from the overwhelming horror at the idea.   
  
"I'm certain that there were other options, but they were not discussed publicly. But those two and the one chosen were the only three discussed among everyone." He looked over at Airstream, raising an eyebrow. "If you want to know what the other options were, I'm sure if I were to ask one of the Council members - who happens to be an old friend of mine - to tell me what else was discussed, he would tell me so that I could relay it to you."   
  
Bombrush did everything in his power to not smirk at the other's fearful face. Little shit deserved to have his own scare.  
  
Then he huffed, shaking his head. "As you can see, this options keeps your sister and everyone else alive as well as keep her here with her family and friends. You may hate my son for what you believe is his 'failure,' but he will protect your sister at all costs and will never leave her side again."  
  
Wheeljack could only nod, trying to take everything in slowly. Death, basic imprisonment, or this chosen option? Now she could see why this one had been chosen. not that she had anything against it in the first place. At least now she understood the process of it all.  
  
Airstream was still horrified by the idea of his sister's death and the idea of never being able to see her again. Damn it, this wasn't right! It wasn't her fault that Bloodshed was selfishly in love with her! Why did she have to suffer as well?!  
  
Warpath's face hardened. While he didn't like the other options more, he wasn't a fan of this one either. He hated Bloodshed - that bastard wasn't worthy of being by her side after this.  
  
"Why didn't the Council just leave her to us?"  
  
Bombrush raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
  
"We're not gods, but we're both hunters and warriors," Warpath said. "Why do they think we can't protect her ourselves?"   
  
“And what if another god decides to go rogue?” Bombrush said, raising an eyebrow. “Though I doubt that will ever happen again, if it were to happen, you mortals have no chance of protecting her. And if a large group of men attack you, there are only two of you. Just the two of you cannot protect her.”  
  
Warpath and Airstream said nothing, knowing that it was true. They were just mortal men. They could do nothing against a god. And if they were outnumbered by other men such as themselves, they wouldn’t be able to protect her either. They couldn’t always be by her side – they had their duties to the village.  
  
Bloodshed had no duties or ties to do any village work. He would always be able to be by her side, even when she worked out in the fields. And if a large group did attack, they would easily run in terror just at the sight of Bloodshed. He was a god, a god people feared, respected.   
  
Well, most people did anyway.   
  
“If he hadn’t have failed to protect her from all of this, then I would have no qualms with the decision,” Airstream growled, now glaring at Bloodshed. “A decision that shouldn’t have even been made because you should have protected her.”  
  
“Air-Airstream, it’s my fault!” Thornstriker cried. “I-I didn’t wake him up! I-I should have–”  
  
“If I recall, he promised me that  _no matter what_ , he would protect you from anything and everything. Well, that ‘promise’ was broken the second Landmine ran away with you and took you who the hell knows where!”   
  
“B-But–”  
  
“Thornstriker, stop,” Warpath said, holding up a hand to her. “While it was foolish of you to go out and investigate on your own, Airstream is right. He  _promised_  to protect you. Why else would Airstream allow him into the house? It was because he thought Bloodshed would do what he said he would–”  
  
“This isn’t his fault!” Thornstriker screamed as she shut her eyes tightly, everyone taken aback by the sudden outburst. “Bloodshed didn’t do anything wrong! I-I’m the one that got myself into this mess to begin with! I-I should have woken him up! I shouldn’t have gone out alone!”   
  
When Bloodshed tried to shush her, she shook off his hands and continued to yell out, “Y-You don’t know how relentlessly he searched for me! E-Even when he was tired and dirty and hungry, he still looked for me! A-And he was the one that saved me! He _did_  protect me! He didn't let Landmine take me away again! He saved me!  _Why can't you just accept that?!_ "  
  
Then the woman burst into tears, burying her face into her hands. She hated how her brother and best friend hated her lover. She hated how the feeling was mutual too. Why couldn't they at least  _pretend_  to like each other? Why did they have to make things so hard? Bloodshed wasn't the bad man in all of this. He was basically her hero, yet they condemned like a villain. It wasn't right. It just wasn't.   
  
Bloodshed stroked over her back, leaning down to plant soft kisses on her hair. He loathed seeing her upset, but no matter how much he tried to get her to stop crying, she still continued to sob, muttering about it wasn't right for them to blame him, that it wasn't anyone's fault but hers because she had been careless. Because she had been stupid.   
  
Bombrush just looked at the girl, giving a soft and sad huff. He shook his head, not liking how she was blaming herself. There was no one to blame but that god. This never should have happened, but because of him and his own twisted selfishness, it did. No one but him was to blame. And he was dead now. There was nothing anyone could do at this point.  
  
"Thornstriker, don't take the blame," he said to the girl, causing her to look up at him as she tried to wipe away her tears. "This isn't your fault. While you shouldn't have gone out alone, you are not to blame."   
  
She said nothing as she tried to wipe her tears away.  
  
Bombrush then looked at Airstream, his expression hardening. "And if you want to go around blaming people, Bloodshed is not the only one at fault. If it was Bloodshed's fault for letting him get away, then it's also your fault for not going to check the noise first. He is her lover, yes, but you are her brother. You are to protect her as well." Then he turned to Warpath. "And you - you weren't even  _there_. You're at fault for not even being there to protect her. If we must go around blaming people, then you are  _all_  to blame."  
  
The room fell silent for a few moments, everyone allowing the Jungle God's words to sink in. Airstream's hands balled up into fist, wanting to say something but could think of nothing. Bombrush, he reluctantly admitted, was right. It was not just Bloodshed's fault. They all had let this happen. Because she had gone out alone. Because Bloodshed had not reacted quick enough. Because Airstream had not been alerted in time. Because Warpath hadn't been there.   
  
He wanted to say otherwise, but he couldn't. He gritted his teeth together in anger, looking at the floor.  
  
"The only one you should be blaming is already dead," Bombrush said. "This never should have happened because Landmine never should have been at your house. If you feel the need to blame someone, blame him. He was the one that caused  _everyone_  grief and pain." He looked over at Thornstriker giving a soft look. "Especially her."  
  
The brunette said nothing, turning away and hiding her face in Bloodshed's side.   
  
Soundwave finally shook her head and stood, much to everyone's surprise. She looked to the three mortals in front of her and gave a gentle sigh. "I know this is hard for you to accept," she said, mainly addressing the men. "I understand that. But, as much as you hate to admit it, you know it is what's best."   
  
Neither man answered, looking down at their feet.  
  
Then she turned to Bombrush. "Come on, it's late. We should let everyone rest."  
  
Bombrush said nothing at first, glancing at his son and his lover. But when Bloodshed just gave him a nod, answering his silent question, Bombrush huffed and rose to his feet. "All right then. I suppose we all need some rest."   
  
"Oh, let me escort you out." Wheeljack, her housewarming skills kicking in, stood up to show them out.  
  
"Thank you." Soundwave followed her, Bombrush looking at the seated occupants before turning to follow.  
  
At the door, Wheeljack opened it up to let them out. "Will you be okay getting out of the village?"  
  
"We'll be all right; it's still dark out and I doubt anyone will notice a giant jaguar and his bride walking through the streets," Bombrush joked as he caught up to them.  
  
They stood at the door for a second. But just as Soundwave was about to step out, a soft voice stopped them.  
  
"Thank you..." Wheeljack looked down, trying to hold back the tears she had pushed back before. "Thank you for bringing her back. I-!" She couldn't continue, not wanting to know of what could have happened.  
  
Soundwave looked to her before reaching out to put an arm on her shoulder. The other woman looked up. "You and your husband are wonderful people. Thornstriker is lucky to have people like you and Warpath around. People who love her. People who want to see her happy. She couldn't ask for anyone better."  
  
Wheeljack saw a touch of sadness in the other's eyes before the woman finally turned and walked out. She let a tear fall out when it was wiped away by a hand that wasn't hers. "We’ve already had one woman cry. I would hate to see another."   
  
Looking into the god's red eyes, the mortal woman felt her face flush. She wasn't sure if it was because she was embarrassed or because of his attractive face. Yes, she was married to Airstream, the love of her life, but that didn't mean she couldn't find someone else to be beautiful or handsome.  
  
She watched as his face gave her a soft smile, making her feel better than before. But as she was distracted by her flushed appearance, she was unprepared for the feeling of lips on her own.  
  
Her eyes shot back up to see the God of the Jungle almost eye to eye with her before he pulled back and shot her an even bigger smile. "Thank you for the hospitality. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Wheeljack."  
  
"Ah, I-"  
  
"Get out!" Airstream snarled, having jumped to his feet when he saw that the god had just  _kissed_  his wife. If Warpath wasn't holding him back by the arms as he had stood up as well, he would have tried to rip the other's throat out.  
  
Bombrush chuckled. "All right, all right - I suppose that I have overextended my welcome." Besides, he could see Soundwave glaring at him in annoyance at of the corner of his eye. No doubt that she would yell at him when they returned home. And was he looking forward to that.  
  
Finally, the god closed the door as he saw Airstream storm towards him. The mortal banged his fist on the door, trembling in rage. At this point, he wasn't sure who he hated more - that fucking sex fiend or his bastard son.   
  
As Wheeljack tried to cool down her burning cheeks by rubbing them, Airstream took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. Then he turned to Warpath, trying to keep a straight face. "I suppose that there's nothing left to discuss... You can go home or take the extra bed we have in the kitchen, Warpath. It's up to you."  
  
The warrior glanced at Bloodshed and Thornstriker for a moment before turning to look back at his friend. "I don't mind. I'll stay here the night."  
  
Airstream nodded, looking over at his baby sister with an even softer expression. "Come on, you need to get to bed," he said gently. "You've had a long week, I'm sure."  
  
Thornstriker nodded, slowly rising to her feet with Bloodshed following.   
  
But just as the two made it to the curtain to her room, Airstream called out, "Bloodshed."  
  
Both of them stopped, Bloodshed turning to look back at the mortal.  
  
His expression was hard as he glared at the other. Bloodshed said and did nothing as the other looked over him for a few moments before giving a harsh huff. "I may have... accepted these new conditions, but do  _not_  be mistaken. I will never forgive you for this. No matter what anyone may say, I will  _always_  see this as your fault."  
  
Thornstriker's eyes widened at the sudden declaration, looking up at her lover in concern. But Bloodshed just nodded, turning away from him as he gently pushed Thornstriker into her room, Bloodshed soon following.  
  
As Warpath went to go set up his bed, Wheeljack sighed and shook her head. "You didn't have to say that."  
  
"And that pervert didn't have to kiss you."  
  
Wheeljack's gasped as Airstream suddenly lifted her up and carried her into their room. She let out a small cry when he basically threw her down on the bed, pinning down her wrists. "Air-Mmm?!"  
  
He cut her off with a harsh kiss, shoving his tongue into her mouth as he moved himself in between her legs. She whimpered and moaned softly, not sure as to what was going on. This was jealousy. This was anger. This was relief. Jealousy because Bombrush had just kissed her. Anger because Airstream hated how Bloodshed was to remain in Thornstriker's life for eternity. Relief that Thornstriker was just home, safe and sound.   
  
He pulled back and panted hard. Then he smirked. "The bastard may have kissed you, but he will  _never_  see you the way I do."  
  
She just blushed, but nodded. It was going to be a long night for many, many different reasons.

* * *

Thornstriker was lying down on her bed, running her hands over sheets, blankets, and pillows. She had missed it all so much. Just the very sight of her room... It made her want to cry in relief. She was really home. She had finally come home.   
  
She rested her head on the pillows, snuggling into them. She smiled at the feel of them. They were old, they were lumpy, but she didn’t care if they weren’t the most comfortable pillows. They were hers. That was all the mattered.  
  
Bloodshed just quietly watched his lover snuggle up into her bed. He slowly took a step toward her, sitting down on the very edge of her bed, not wanting to disturb her. But when the bed dipped, she looked up at him and her smile faded.   
  
He looked… weird. He didn’t seem to be like himself. There was a depressed aura surrounding him, which made her give a small sigh. She knew it had something to do with what Airstream had said to him. And, now that she thought about it, he hadn’t really said anything since he arrived at the house.   
  
She pushed herself up on her knees, scooting over to him. She rested a hand on his arm, making him turn to look at with wide eyes. “What?” he said.   
  
"That should be my question." She moved her hand up to his cup his cheek, stroking over his skin. "What's wrong, Bloodshed? You... You're too quiet."   
  
The god was silent for a few moments, just simply staring at the woman. He opened his mouth to say he was fine, but the words never came out. It would have been lie to say that he was fine. He was... upset. But with himself.   
  
Airstream's words had hit him harder than he let on. He  _knew_  that he had failed as a lover. He didn't need to be constantly reminded by the girl's brother. He hated him and it only made him feel worse to know that someone he hated was right about him. He was a failure as Thornstriker's lover. He really didn't deserve to remain by her side, considering what he had allowed to happen to her.   
  
And yet, despite that, she looked at him with love. She touched him because she wanted him to remain with her. And he wanted to stay with her too. But it wasn't about what he wanted. It was about what he deserved.  
  
And for what he allowed to happen to her, he didn't deserve her.   
  
When he remained silent and looked away from her, she bit her bottom lip and let her hands rest in her lap. She knew it. Airstream had made the other upset. Damn it, why did he have to say that to him? Bloodshed had already hated himself enough for this. He didn't need anyone to remind him of what happened. And it wasn't even his fault! None of this was Bloodshed's fault... Why was she the only one who could see that?  
  
"Bloodshed."  
  
He turned to her again, eyes widening when she suddenly moved over into his lap and pressed her hands on his chest. Her cheeks were slightly red, but her expression was one of determination. He was confused for a moment, especially when she pushed him to lie back down on her bed.  
  
"Th-Thornstriker?"   
  
She leaned down a bit, seizing his face and gently forcing him to look at her. "You listen to my brother and Warpath... So, now, will you listen to me?"  
  
He just stared at her, even more confused at what she was getting at. Nonetheless, he nodded and relaxed his body, leaning up on his elbows as she took her hands from his face.   
  
"Bloodshed... I know you hate yourself for what happened," she murmured softly. She hated being blunt about things, especially when she knew it could potentially hurt someone's feelings. But she had to put that aside. She needed to be blunt now. "And... I know Airstream and Warpath hate you for it. I-I don't think they'll ever forgive you or ever approve of you being by my side for eternity."  
  
He said nothing and just stared up at her, waiting for him to continue.  
  
She bit her bottom lip. "But... But despite their disapproval... I still need you, Bloodshed. I won't leave you. I love you, despite what they say and despite what has happened... I love you so much."   
  
His eyes widened. "But I-"  
  
She pressed a finger to his lips and shook her head. "You've always been there for me, Bloodshed. Even when you're not physically with me. You've always been there..." She moved her finger away from his lips, looking down at his chest. "And... And when I'm in trouble, you come to help me. Just like you did with... with Landmine."  
  
Bloodshed felt her shiver when she said his name, prompting him to stretch up a hand to caress her cheek, trying to calm her down.   
  
Then Thornstriker swallowed and continued. "Bloodshed, I... I know that if I'm ever in trouble or danger again... You will always come to help me... to save me... Because you love me as much as I love you." Then she gave a weak and soft laugh, looking up at him with a small smile. "Though, I'm starting to believe that you love me more than I think you do."   
  
He could only stare at her, not sure of what to say or do.   
  
She bit her lip before she bent down to lay her head on his chest. "You... you always tell me you love me. And you do... your touches and kisses... I can feel it in them. But then I can feel the desperation... the need. Not like him... you need me because you love me."  
  
Bloodshed hesitantly brought up his arm, holding her to him as he moved to lie on the bed.  
  
"I can't tell you how I came to think this. It just started to... I started to realize how much you wanted me before I was taken. But then seeing you look for me so hard... screaming yourself hoarse, going until you were about to collapse. I could see it... I could see that you couldn't... you couldn't live without me."  
  
He stroked over her hair, looking up at the ceiling. She had figured all of that out? Either she was extremely observant or he was extremely obvious. Or it could have been a mix of both. He wasn’t certain, but it was true. He couldn’t live without her. Without her, life was nothing.   
  
“You’re right,” he murmured softly, kissing her hair. “You… You mean  _everything_  to me, Thornstriker.”   
  
“I-I know.” Thornstriker blushed as she moved herself to lie next to him instead of on top of him. When he turned over on his side, she just pressed into his chest. “I-I know you don’t think you do and I know they don’t think so either, but… But you  _do_  deserve me, Bloodshed. So much more than you realize…”  
  
His eyes widened. “But I–”   
  
She pressed a finger to his lips, shaking her head. “I say you deserve me… And… And if I think so, you can’t disagree with me, right?”   
  
He remained silent. While he could disagree with her, he didn’t truly want to. He loved her so much, too much that he couldn’t leave her. Even if he didn’t deserve her, he could never leave her.  
  
"Come on," he murmured softly. "It's... been a long night. You need to get some sleep."  
  
"O-Oh... Al-All right..."   
  
Bloodshed gave a soft smile, moving her up to rest her head against the pillows. She just watched him get up from the bed and blow out the candles in her room before he came back to her. Just as he was about to pull the covers over her, she seized him by the hand, tugging him back onto the bed. He was surprised and hesitant at first, but when he saw that sheepish red face of hers, he couldn't say no. He merely climbed into bed with her, pulling the covers over both of them.  
  
"Good night, Thornstriker."  
  
"... Good night..." she murmured softly, burying her face into his chest.   
  
Then the two fell asleep, wrapped up in each others' arms, falling into a deep slumber within their own world.


	10. Chapter 10

Thornstriker had never had a feast thrown for her and she never thought it would happen. Yet, when the village had learned that she had been safely brought back to the village, they had set up a big feast. Mainly to honor the God of Wrath, who wasn’t exactly pleased to be there. Still, because Thornstriker had asked him to attend and at least pretend to enjoy being there, he went. Though he refused to be in any form aside from his jaguar one.   
  
Airstream was furious at the people of the village were throwing this banquet for that god, but he remained silent on the matter when Thornstriker pleaded with him. So, at the feast in the Sacred Temple, he sat with Wheeljack, Warpath, and the other villagers that were allowed inside the temple, everyone else outside.   
  
Bloodshed and Thornstriker were made to sit by the main wall of the temple, Bloodshed sitting on the finest cloth and pillows that the village had. Thornstriker simply rested against him (as he had basically made her do so), making her feel rather embarrassed. The god didn’t seem pleased with all of this, considering he was never a fan of this sort of worship. He preferred it when people just quietly prayed to him and whatnot. These showering things bothered the hell out of him and made him uncomfortable.   
  
But with Thornstriker sitting next to him, leaning up against his body and running her delicate hands through his fur, he knew he could handle it just fine.   
  
They offered him gifts, tribute, and everything else he didn’t need or particularly want and then some. Thornstriker was overwhelmed by it all, considering she was in the middle of it and hardly anyone was paying attention to her.  
  
Okay, no, that was a lie. She may have not have been receiving as much attention as Bloodshed, but there were both men and women at her feet, offering her food and kissing her feet and ankles. It made her blush and press into Bloodshed's fur, not sure what to make of the treatment. But, out of respect, she did not reject what was being offered. No matter how uncomfortable it made her feel.  
  
Bloodshed just tuned it all out, lying down on the ground as food and wine was brought to him. He ate and drank when he knew he should have, his tail moving over to Thornstriker's arm and stroking over it in a comforting manner; he could tell she wasn't enjoying this either by her squirming against his body. She returned the gesture by scratching behind his ears, knowing he enjoyed that.   
  
Bloodshed leaned over a bit, his head by her ear. "You want to get out of this?"  
  
She blinked, looking at him. "Wh-What do you mean?"   
  
"I know you don't like this either," he murmured softly. "Let's get out of here. Come on - climb onto my back."  
  
She was hesitant, but it was true. She didn't like it. Too many people, too much staring... She knew they meant it in good nature, but it was so much and too much. Still, she didn't like it and did as he said, moving herself onto his back.  
  
She shrieked when he suddenly stood up, everyone jerking their attention to the two of them. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he bowed his head to the people before taking off running. She buried her face into his fur as her ran, holding onto him tightly as she heard people shriek or cry out in surprise. She could have sworn she heard Warpath and Airstream scream out her name, but she wasn't sure.  
  
She could only hold and thank the gods that Bloodshed's form was much larger than a normal jaguar's.   
  
Bloodshed wasn't sure where he was running. He was just getting away from the village. Too many people, too big of a crowd - he couldn't handle it and hell, he was a god - he didn't have to handle it if he chose not to. And he chose to leave and took her with him. He dared anyone to try and stop him. It would have been laughable, to say the least.  
  
He finally slowed down once he felt he was far away enough. His pace went from running to walking before coming to a complete stop, panting a bit. He glanced over his shoulder, Thornstriker still clutching onto his fur as she looked up at him with wide eyes. He allowed himself a small smile as he regained control of his breaths. "I bet you're the only one in the village who can say you've ridden a jaguar."   
  
She cleared her throat, getting off of him and brushing down her dress. "That was rude," she said softly, biting her bottom lip. "We shouldn't have-"  
  
"You didn't mind the exit," he pointed out, giving a soft huff as he shook his head. "Besides, I'd rather just be alone with you right now... Especially right now."  
  
She blinked, turning to look at him and gasping when he stood there in his nine-foot god form, the god kneeling down in front of her and wrapping his arms tightly around her. She blushed a bit, but slowly wrapped her arms around him, stroking over his back. "Bl-Blood... Bloodshed?"  
  
"I just want to be alone with you," he murmured softly. "I just... I'm selfish and I just want to be with only you. No one else but us... I'm sorry."   
  
Her blush darkened, but she held him tighter to her. "No... No... I... I want to be alone with just you too." Though, she wished that they hadn't had just left her brother and friends like that. They were probably worried about her, especially since they just ran out of the village. But she hoped that Airstream and Warpath trusted Bloodshed enough to take care of her, though they probably didn't. Still, she could hope.  
  
He gave a soft chuckle, bending down and kissing her cheek. "Come on... Let's... Let's just walk."  
  
She nodded, biting her bottom lip as he released her and turned back into his jaguar form. She rested a hand on his side as they walked into the jungle, following a trail down a hill. They continued down the path, both of them enjoying each other's company as they listened to the sounds of the jungle around them.   
  
But as they walked down a little more, Bloodshed stiffened a bit when he caught the scent of roses. The same smell... that was used to throw him off when that freak kidnapped her. But he was dead. Why could Bloodshed smell those roses?!  
  
Thornstriker looked over at Bloodshed when he tensed against her hand. "Bloodshed?" she said. "Is... Is something wrong?"  
  
He looked at up at her, not sure what to say. He didn't want to frighten her if nothing was wrong. Especially not after all the hell she went through. But the roses... He couldn't stop thinking about the roses. Still, carefully, he walked forward, his tail moving over to wrap around Thornstriker's wrist. It put her on edge, but she did nothing to stop him.  
  
Finally, they reached a clearing. And they both froze at the sight.   
  
Tucked in deep into the backs of the jungle, barely concealed by dead foliage and plants, was the top of a glass-like dome with a the top of a huge tree stick out in the center. Bloodshed had never seen this structure before and the scent of roses was attacking his olfactory senses like no tomorrow. He glanced over at Thornstriker, who just stared at the glass with wide and almost horrified eyes.   
  
He blinked. “Thornstriker?”  
  
She said nothing. She slowly took her hand away from the jaguar, Bloodshed too stunned to react when she stepped out of his tail’s grip. The girl simply stepped over slowly to the dome, her hand stretched out to touch it. Could it be the…? Was it really…?   
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
She swallowed and, shutting her eyes tightly, rested her hand against the cold glass. The same cold glass that she had pressed herself up against when Landmine tried to get near her, when he tried to touch her.   
  
“Thornstriker!”  
  
A hand clamped down on her shoulder. Her eyes popped open as she turned around, Bloodshed – now in his normal god form again – looking down at her with a worried expression. She swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.  
  
“What is it? What’s wrong? Thornstriker?”  
  
“I… I’m sorry,” she murmured softly, looking down at her feet. “This… This is where…” She bit her bottom lip and looked back over at the done. She looked down, seeing the massive tree in the center of all the foliage and plants down below. She could even see that little wooden cottage… She shivered and turned back to her lover. “This… is where I was with him.”  
  
It took Bloodshed a moment. Then, once the words sunk in, his eyes widened as he jerked his attention to the glass. Thornstriker… had been trapped down there? That entire time? But he knew he had searched this area! Why didn’t he find this place the first time?! It was in plain sight-  
  
A gust of wind came by, dead flora filling up his nose. He looked over, seeing the dead vines and plants surrounding the dome, now falling off to the ground. Right… Camouflage. Landmine hadn’t been a complete fool. If he had intended to keep her there… forever… he wouldn’t want anyone finding him or his hide out. That was why no one had seen this before.  
  
He growled to himself. Why hadn’t he thought of that before during his search? Why didn’t he think the other was smart enough to use camouflage? He probably would have found her sooner…  
  
“Bloodshed.”  
  
He blinked, looking down at her. His eyes widened when he saw her pained expression, finally registering that his grip was too tight on her shoulder. Quickly, he dropped his hand down to his side and cleared his throat. “S-Sorry.”  
  
“N-No… I-It’s all right… Umm…” She bit her bottom lip, looking back at the tree sticking out of the top. Then she took a deep breath, turning back to Bloodshed. “I… Bloodshed, I… Could you…?”  
  
“Could I what?” he said, titling his head to the side.   
  
“I… Would you… take me down there?”  
  
Silence followed as Bloodshed just stared at her. She was biting on her bottom lip, rubbing her arm nervously. He looked back up at the dome before slowly looking back down at the girl. She… wanted to go… back? She… wanted him to take her down to that prison? Why? Why would she want to go back there?!  
  
“Thornstriker, you shouldn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I… I don’t want you to put you through that. You were already trapped down there once.”  
  
“B-But he’s gone now,” she murmured softly. Then she slowly reached out and gently rested a hand on his wrist. “And you’re with me, Bloodshed… I’ll be all right. Please?”  
  
He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to go down there and see where that bastard had kept her against her will. She had been so afraid when that god looked at her… Now she was saying she wanted to go down there?!  
  
But he couldn’t refuse her. He just didn’t have it in him.   
  
With a heavy huff, he turned her back to her and crotched down. She was confused at first until he looked over his shoulder and gestured to his back. “Hop up. I’ll… I’ll take you down there.”   
  
“O-Okay…” She didn’t know why he had suddenly grown docile on the matter, considering he seemed ready to drag her away a few moments ago. Taking a deep breath, she climbed up on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and hooking her legs around his sides.   
  
As soon as she was secure on his back, he slowly stood up and turned around. Looking over the top of the dome, he could still see a few vines that were strong enough to help him make his way over to the tree. He slowly moved his way up along the slippery surface, balancing himself just right as he made his way to the tree.   
  
When he grabbed a hold of the bark, he looked over at her. “Hold on tight, okay?”  
  
She nodded, her grip tightening a little.   
  
He slowly descended down the trees and into the dome. Immediately, he was assaulted with the smells of probably some of the sweetest flowers his nose had ever caught whiff of. Normally, he supposed people would be comforted by the scents. It just disturbed him as he descended lower and lower down the massive tree.  
  
Thornstriker kept her face buried into his shoulder. The garden... it still smelled so unbelievably sweet. When she had first woken up here, she had thought it was the most beautiful place in the world. Now? She didn't know what to think of it. There was just... so much. Too much. It scared her, even though she knew it couldn't hurt her now.   
  
As they got lower and lower, he took in his surroundings more. Everything was just so... colorful. He saw the beauty of the life, yes, but... It just reminded him of how decorated Landmine had made this prison. Just for her. It angered him to think that the bastard thought he could keep her happy by simply ornamenting the place up, showing him how much the god did not understand anything about... being human.  
  
He caught sight of the mattress on the ground, near the rosebushes and near a small table with a bowl on top. He thought that was where perhaps Landmine had slept at first, but getting a closer look, he could tell the bed was much too small for him. It was for someone... Thornstriker's size. He had forced her to sleep there? That little shit-  
  
"Bloodshed?"  
  
He snapped out of it, stopping looking at her to see that she was slightly trembling. His expression softened a bit. "I'm right here. Don't worry... Nothing's going to hurt you."  
  
"I-I know that," she said softly. "I-It's just... I just..."  
  
He shushed her. "Do you want to go back?"  
  
She shook her head and buried her face back into his shoulder. He gave a heavy huff and began climbing down again. Then, after climbing down a bit more, Bloodshed's feet finally touched the ground and he pushed away from the tree. Then he looked at Thornstriker, who had finally taken her face from his back and looked up at her surroundings.  
  
She bit her bottom lip. "P-Put me down... Please."  
  
He nodded, doing as she asked him. She stepped up to his side and clutched onto his hunting pants, leaning up against his leg. Though it was irrational, she feared that somehow, someway, Landmine was still alive. He was still in the shadows with his vines, just waiting to grab her and take her Primus knew where again. Take her away from her friends, her family... Her lover...  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to go back?"  
  
She gasped as she was pulled from her thoughts, looking up at her lover as he gazed down at her with concern. She cleared her throat and nodded, letting go of his leg. "I... I'm fine."   
  
She took a step toward the mattress, remembering how some of her things were in the bowl. She slowly made her way over to it, Bloodshed following close behind. "Thornstriker? Why... Why did you want to come here?"  
  
The girl was silent for few moments, stopping in front of the table. Biting her bottom lip, she picked up the bowl and turned to him, holding out it out in front of him. He looked down, eyes widening when he saw what was inside. Those... Those were hers. He was certain they were. And by the look on her face, he could only confirm it.  
  
"I... I wanted to come back and get my things."   
  
He gritted his teeth together. Right... He had been stealing her things. He had been taking her things and bringing them down here... before he took Thornstriker for his own too. He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm. He didn't want to lash out, especially not at her for no good reason. "Do... Do you want everything back?"  
  
She shook her head. "Just... Just the jewelry. Th-That's all I want..."   
  
He nodded. "I'll help you with whatever you need me to carry."  
  
The mortal's cheeks reddened a bit as she turned away from him. "Th-Thank you."   
  
Turning away from her, but still keeping an eye on her out of the corner of his eye, he looked around the area to see if there were other pieces of jewelry lying around. He found two earrings, not matching, and a bracelet near the tulips, but nothing else. Looking over the earrings, he knew that the others were at home. He had sworn he had seen the design before.  
  
He huffed, shaking his head. He knew this wasn't the last of it. Probably far from it. Landmine had been stealing from her for five years, taking one thing each time he "visited" her. He must have had so much more than this... He just hoped they wouldn't have to look all throughout the dome for them.  
  
Bloodshed looked back at Thornstriker, who was slowly walking in the opposite direction of where he was at. His eyes widened as she disappeared through the foliage, immediately following after her in fear that something would happen the minute she left his sights. He panicked when he lost her through the thick patches of green, fearing the worst.  
  
"Thornstriker?!"  
  
He was never more relieved when he heard her call out, "I'm over here. In the clearing."  
  
The god ran in her direction, his heart not beating any slower despite hearing her voice just then. Carefully, keeping the bowl with her jewelry in it balanced, he broke through into the clearing.  
  
He was greeted to the sight of her standing about ten or so feet from a hut. It was a simple hut, forged of only wood, twine, and grass as far as he could tell. But he didn't question the appearance of this foreign structure in the dome greenhouse, instead choosing to move to Thornstriker's side as she stared at the building in front of her.  
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
She was quiet, simply staring at the building in front of her. She carried a blank expression, but Bloodshed could see the apparent fear in her eyes. But she could only stare, her breathing controlled and her body perfectly still.   
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
“The rest of my things are in there,” she said, pointing at the cottage.   
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
She nodded. She slowly stepped toward it, Bloodshed following close behind her. She reached for the door, only to stop when her hand rested on the knob. A wave of fear suddenly came over her and she swallowed, backing away from the door.   
  
She couldn’t go in there. She didn’t want to look at what was inside. He may have been dead, but his entire collection of his obsession was there. It would always be there unless she went back in and destroyed it herself. She didn’t want to see it… She didn’t want to remember…  
  
Thornstriker didn’t even realize that she was trembling or that she had buried her face into her hands, now starting to cry. Bloodshed’s eyes widened as she caved in on herself, breaking down in complete fear. He immediately put down the bowl, kneeling down in front of her and wrapping his arms tightly around her. He pulled her into his chest, running a hand through her hair as he tried to calm her down. But she only cried more, still shaking violently.   
  
“It’s okay,” he murmured softly, trying to get her to stop crying. “Nothing’s going to hurt you. I’m right here – I’ll protect you, I swear… Thornstriker, it’s okay. Don’t cry…”   
  
“He said I was pretty…!” she sobbed, her eyes locked on the door. “L-Like a rose…! If only I were ugly…! If only I hadn’t been like I am…! He would have never…! He never…!”  
  
He hushed her, stroking over her hair and pressing her up against his body. “Don’t say that,” he murmured. “This isn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything.”  
  
“B-But he–”  
  
“Was a freak. He tried to  _imprison_  you, Thornstriker. You did nothing to deserve that.”  
  
“B-But he said–”  
  
“That doesn’t make you responsible,” he said, pushing her back a bit. He seized her by the face, wiping away her tears with his thumbs as he made her look at him. “He did this… because he was insane. He didn’t know anything… He was a fool. You were a victim in all of this. Understand that.”   
  
She just stared at him, still sobbing a bit. She wanted to believe him, she really did. But she would just never understand why Landmine had chosen her. There were plenty of girls out there like her… Why did it have to be her?  
  
But maybe it had been a good thing it was her. Because she had been able to escape. Because of her, he was caught. Now, he was gone forever, never to bother anyone again.   
  
Thornstriker pushed out of his grip, wiping away the last of her tears. Though it was hard, though she didn’t want to go inside, she wanted her things back. She wanted to take back what was her, wanted to allow herself to understand that she was safe. Nothing like this would ever happen again.   
  
She turned back towards the house, still trembling a bit. She hated that house. It was nothing more than a smaller prison… A trophy room…  
  
Bloodshed moved toward the house first, much to her surprise. He reached out to the door and turned the handle, but looked at her. “You ready to go in?”  
  
She bit her bottom lip, but nodded. The god let out a small huff before pushing it open, stepping inside with Thornstriker following after him.   
  
But she bumped into his back when he had frozen at the sight of the room. She looked up too, only too quickly look away at the sight of it all.  
  
Clothes, shoes, utensils, jewelry, towels – all of it everywhere and anywhere that could be placed for display. Like some psycho’s twisted museum of nothing but stolen goods from his victims, his way of idolizing her in such a disgusting manner… Trophies. Prizes. Like her. She was just another trophy, but the most prized one of them all. Beauty, gentle, free…  
  
His hands clenched into fists as he looked back at the girl, who was still looking down at her feet. He was the same as Landmine, yet still different. He was different because he would not force her to be captive. He did love her and saw her above being simply a decoration, a flower.  
  
But he didn’t want anyone else to have her. Or look at her. If he could, he would hide her away where no one else could ever touch her or try to take her away from him. She would be his and only his. It was the dark part of him, the possessive part. He was always so tempted to just snatch her away when she had been younger, before she had known he was watching over her…  
  
“Bloodshed?”  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts, looking down at the girl.  
  
She stepped past him, glancing at the shelves with her jewelry on it. It was too high for her to reach, so she merely pointed up to it. “Please… Would you get those…? Then… Then can we leave?  Please…”  
  
He swallowed. Right… That was why they came in here. But he could not give her a verbal answer. He just nodded and turned away from her, gathering the jewelry on the shelves. He kept glancing at Thornstriker, who was just hugging herself as she kept her eyes on the floor.   
  
After another ten minutes of searching, he had recovered all of her missing jewelry. She found a small bag that had belonged to her when she was younger, pushing the jewelry inside there. They walked outside of the hut, picking up the bowl Bloodshed had put down when comforting her. She just moved the jewelry from there into the bag as well, letting the bowl fall to the floor.  
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
She turned to him.   
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
“I… I don’t know,” she murmured honestly. She glanced back at the house. She didn’t want to look at it anymore. She just hated knowing that that place had been a room dedicated to her… And Landmine’s disturbing obsession with her.   
  
He huffed, shaking his head. “Well… Come on. Let’s get out of here.”  
  
She nodded in agreement, slowly walking over to him. But she kept looking back at the house, obviously haunted by it. Who wouldn’t be though? It showed just how deeply Landmine was obsessed with her, how deep his desire was to own her… And how he thought he could take her away from everything she loved. Everything she was.  
  
Thornstriker gasped when she saw the house start to crack, looking over at Bloodshed, who was glaring murderously at the house. She looked back at the shack, seeing it begin to implode on itself, crackling and breaking. She could only watch, unable to speak or move as the house soon began to shatter, parts breaking off and the building crumbling to the ground.  
  
Then it collapsed, Thornstriker flinching back a bit as the last few stands fell to the ground. She gaped a bit at the sight, eyes widening as it hit her. It… It was gone. The collection… was gone. Bloodshed… had destroyed his collection. Destroyed what Landmine had held dear to him. The idea of having her… was dead.   
  
She gasped when she was suddenly lifted off the ground. She looked up at Bloodshed with wide eyes, who just carried her back to the tree. She held onto him, biting her bottom lip. He looked pretty angry… And she didn’t understand why. But she remained silent, even when he moved her to his back and started climbing up again.   
  
That was when she started to notice the glass beginning to break. Her eyes widened as the entire domed area shake, the tree trembling from the violent tremors. She buried her face into his back, shaking slightly as he continued to destroy this place. This prison. All because Bloodshed knew she hated it. She feared it.  
  
So Bloodshed wanted to destroy it.   
  
“Hold on tight, okay?”  
  
She nodded, gripping him tightly as he quickly scaled up the tree, the glass started to shatter and crumble. Thornstriker gasped, holding onto him even more tightly than before as he quickly climbed out of the dome, sliding down the cracking glass and landing on the grassy surface above the prison.  
  
Just as his feet hit the floor, the dome shattered, glass raining down on the ground below, trees and foliage around it following suit, burying the place forever, never to be found again. Thornstriker could only pant, her eyes wide as she looked at the scene before her. Gone. It was gone. She could not be brought back down there again. Ever.  
  
Bloodshed set her gently on the grass, but she just fell to her knees, trembling slightly. He gave her a soft look, kneeling down in front of her and gently seizing the sides of her face. She blinked as he titled her head upwards, red eyes piercing into hers.  
  
“I’ve told you before,” he whispered softly, stroking her cheeks. “I will protect you from anyone and anything. I won’t let anyone hurt you again… I swear. I’ll do everything I can to make sure this never happens again. I’m sorry I let it happen once… Forgive me.”  
  
Her bottom lip trembling, she gave the god a small smile. She was safe. She was loved. She would be fine forever. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she murmured softly, closing her eyes as tears developed in the corners of them. “You did protect me… You did save me…” She started to sob a bit, though she kept her smile. “I love you, Bloodshed… I love you so much…”  
  
Bloodshed just wiped the tears from her eyes, bending down to kiss her. She met his lips and moaned softly against them, moving her arms to wrap them around his neck as his arms moved to slide around her petite body, pressing her firmly up against his chest.  
  
He loved her. She belonged to him. Only him. And he belonged to her. He would protect her with all his being. He would protect her.   
  
Thornstriker.   
  
His rose.   
  
His other half.   
  
His everything.


End file.
